Throttle functionality of haptic controller

• US 10,642,373 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Linnell, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman, Stephen G
• Application Number:
  US16/239,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20190187804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 Arm motion controller

Abstract

Example implementations may relate to a haptic hand-holdable controller configured with throttle functionality. An example device may take the form of a haptic controller, which senses tactile information and provides force feedback. The haptic hand-holdable controller may implement a throttle where a motor varies feedback to the hand-holdable controller to simulate a throttle.

Claims

1. A system configured to operate a robotic device, the system comprising:

a rotatable knob coupled to a base;

at least one motor that is operable to apply a torque-generating force to the rotatable knob;

one or more touch sensors arranged to sense touch input on a curved surface of the rotatable knob; and

a control system configured to;

detect, based at least in part on touch data from the curved touchpad, a throttle mode input, wherein the detected throttle mode input comprises multi-touch data corresponding to a throttle grip on the rotatable knob; and

in response to the throttle mode input, switch from a given mode of operation to a throttle mode, wherein operating in the throttle mode comprises controlling the at least one motor to affect the rotation of the rotatable knob to simulate a throttle, and wherein the given mode and the throttle mode are different.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the throttle mode input further comprises inertial data from one or more sensors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein operation in the throttle mode allows for rotation of the rotatable knob between:

(i) an initial position and (ii) a stop position.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the control system is further configured to cause the at least one motor to apply a sonic output by oscillating to the rotatable knob at the initial position and the stop position.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein rotation from the initial position to the stop position is in a first direction, and wherein operation in the throttle mode further allows for rotation of the rotatable knob in a second direction from the initial position to a second stop position, wherein the second direction is opposite of the first direction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein operation in the throttle mode further comprises operating the at least one motor to apply torque-generating force to the rotatable knob in accordance with a return-to-center function for the rotatable knob.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to (i) set an initial position upon detecting the throttle mode input, (ii) detect a movement from the initial position, and (iii) in response to detecting the movement from the initial position, apply torque-generating force to the rotatable knob to return the rotatable knob to the initial position.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to apply a force-derivative torque to the knob in response to an applied knob force, wherein the force-derivative torque is related to the derivative of the applied knob force.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to apply a velocity-dependent damping torque to the knob in response to an applied knob force, wherein the velocity-dependent damping torque is related to the velocity of the applied knob force.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the velocity-dependent damping torque further comprises a viscous damping factor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to apply a sonic output by oscillating torque through the motor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more touch sensors comprise a curved touchpad.

13. A method comprising:

receiving touch data from one or more touch sensors, wherein the one or more touch sensors are arranged on a curved surface of a rotatable knob, wherein the rotatable knob is coupled to a base, and wherein at least one motor that is operable to apply torque-generating force to the rotatable knob;

detecting, based at least in part on the touch data, a throttle mode input, wherein the detected throttle mode input comprises multi-touch data corresponding to a throttle grip on the rotatable knob; and

in response to the throttle mode input, switch from a given mode of operation to a throttle mode, wherein operating in the throttle mode comprises operating the at least one motor to affect the rotation of the rotatable knob to simulate a throttle, wherein operation of the motor differs between the given mode and the throttle mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein operating in the throttle mode further comprises applying a return-to-center function to control rotation of the rotatable knob.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the throttle mode input further comprises detecting inertial data from one or more inertial sensors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the touch data indicates a throttle grip on the rotatable knob.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein operation in the throttle mode allows for rotation of the rotatable knob between:

(i) an initial position and (ii) a stop position.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein operating in the throttle mode further comprises operating the at least one motor to according to a return-to-center function.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the touch data indicates a throttle grip on the rotatable knob.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions executable by a processor to cause a computing device to perform operation comprising:

receiving touch data from one or more touch sensors, wherein the one or more touch sensors are arranged on a curved surface of a rotatable knob, wherein the rotatable knob is coupled to a base, and wherein at least one motor that is operable to apply torque-generating force to the rotatable knob;

detecting, based at least in part on the touch data, a throttle mode input, wherein the detected throttle mode input comprises multi-touch data corresponding to a throttle grip on the rotatable knob; and

in response to the throttle mode input, switch from a given mode of operation to a throttle mode, wherein operating in the throttle mode comprises operating the at least one motor to affect the rotation of the rotatable knob to simulate a throttle, wherein operation of the motor differs between the given mode and the throttle mode.