Force feedback interface device with force functionality button
First Claim
1. A mouse interface device for interfacing a user'"'"'s motion with a host computer and providing force feedback to said user, said mouse interface device comprising:
- a mouse object contacted and manipulated by a user and moveable in a planar workspace with respect to a ground surface;
a planar linkage including five members rotatably coupled to each other, wherein said linkage is arranged such that a first base member is rotatably coupled to a ground member, a first link member is rotatably coupled to said first base member, a second base member is rotatably coupled to said ground member, and a second link member is rotatably coupled to said first link member and said second base member, wherein said mouse object is coupled to said planar linkage at said coupling of said first link member and said second link member;
a plurality of electromagnetic actuators providing forces in said planar workspace of said mouse object, said forces caused by interactions between an electric field and a magnetic field, wherein each of said actuators includes a coil portion integrated with one of said members of said linkage and a magnet portion coupled to said ground surface through which said coil portion moves, and wherein said actuators are controlled from commands output by said host computer; and
a plurality of sensors coupled to said ground surface and separate from said actuators, said sensors detecting movement of said coil portions of said actuators, wherein said sensor provides a sensor signal including information describing said movement of said coil portion from which a position of said mouse object in said planar workspace are determined.
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Abstract
A force feedback mouse interface device connected to a host computer and providing realistic force feedback to a user. The mouse interface device includes a mouse object and a linkage coupled to the mouse that includes a plurality of members rotatably coupled to each other in a planar closed-loop linkage, two of the members coupled to ground and rotatable about the same axis. Two actuators, preferably electromagnetic voice coils, provide forces in the two degrees of freedom of the planar workspace of the mouse object. Each of the actuators includes a moveable coil portion integrated with one of the members of the linkage and a magnet portion coupled to the ground surface through which the coil portion moves. At least one sensor is coupled to the ground surface that detects movement of the linkage and provides a sensor signal including information from which a position of the mouse object in the planar workspace can be determined.
159 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A mouse interface device for interfacing a user'"'"'s motion with a host computer and providing force feedback to said user, said mouse interface device comprising:
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a mouse object contacted and manipulated by a user and moveable in a planar workspace with respect to a ground surface;
a planar linkage including five members rotatably coupled to each other, wherein said linkage is arranged such that a first base member is rotatably coupled to a ground member, a first link member is rotatably coupled to said first base member, a second base member is rotatably coupled to said ground member, and a second link member is rotatably coupled to said first link member and said second base member, wherein said mouse object is coupled to said planar linkage at said coupling of said first link member and said second link member;
a plurality of electromagnetic actuators providing forces in said planar workspace of said mouse object, said forces caused by interactions between an electric field and a magnetic field, wherein each of said actuators includes a coil portion integrated with one of said members of said linkage and a magnet portion coupled to said ground surface through which said coil portion moves, and wherein said actuators are controlled from commands output by said host computer; and
a plurality of sensors coupled to said ground surface and separate from said actuators, said sensors detecting movement of said coil portions of said actuators, wherein said sensor provides a sensor signal including information describing said movement of said coil portion from which a position of said mouse object in said planar workspace are determined. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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18. A mouse interface device for providing force feedback to a user of said interface device, wherein a host computer is coupled to said mouse interface device and implements a graphical environment with which said user interacts, said interface device comprising:
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a support base provided on a grounded surface, said base including a support surface provided above said grounded surface;
a mouse object physically contacted and manipulated by a user in two degrees of freedom with respect to said support surface, wherein said mouse object contacts said support surface;
a mechanical linkage including a plurality of members, said linkage coupled to said mouse object and providing said two degrees of freedom, wherein a portion of said linkage is positioned beneath said support surface and wherein a portion of said linkage extends through said support surface and is coupled to said mouse object;
a plurality of actuators, said actuators providing a force on said mouse object in said two degrees of freedom; and
a sensor detecting movement of at least one of said members of said linkage, wherein said sensor includes an emitter that emits a beam of energy and a detector that detects s aid beam, wherein both said emitter and said detector of said sensor are coupled to said ground surface.
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28. A force feedback interface device for interfacing with a host computer system implementing a graphical environment, the force feedback interface device comprising:
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a user manipulatable object physically contacted and manipulated by a user and moved in two degrees of freedom with respect to a ground surface;
a linkage coupling said mouse object to said grounded surface and allowing movement of said mouse object in said two degrees of freedom, said linkage including a plurality of members, at least one of said members rotatable about an axis;
a plurality of actuators, said actuators providing a force on said mouse object in said two degrees of freedom; and
a sensor detecting movement of at least one of said members of said linkage and outputting a sensor signal indicative of said movement, wherein said sensor includes an emitter that emits a beam of energy and a detector that detects said beam, wherein both said emitter and said detector of said sensor are coupled to said ground surface, and wherein said sensor includes an arc coupled to said member of said linkage rotatable about said axis, said arc including a portion which prevents portions of said beam impinging on said portion to be detected by said detector, and including a strip which directs portions of said beam impinging on said strip to be detected by said detector, wherein said strip is skewed such that different portions of said strip are at different distances from said axis.
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Specification