Haptic feedback stylus and othef devices

• US 20020097223A1
• Filed: 03/05/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,265,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 Force feedback applied to a joystick
• 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 3/0338 : with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 : Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 : Pens or stylus
• 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: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A force feedback interface and method including an actuator in a non-primary axis or degree of freedom. The force feedback interface device is connected to a host computer that implements a host application program or graphical environment. The interface device includes a user manipulatable object, a sensor for detecting movement of the user object, and an actuator to apply output forces to the user object. The actuator outputs a linear force on the user object in non-primary linear axis or degree of freedom that is not used to control a graphical object or entity implemented by the host computer, and movement in the non-primary degree of freedom is preferably not sensed by sensors. The axis extends through the user object, and there are preferably no other actuators in the device, thus allowing the force feedback device to be very cost effective. Force sensations such as a jolt, vibration, a constant force, and a texture force can be output on the user object with the actuator. The force sensations can be output in a direction perpendicular to a planar degree of freedom, radial to spherical degree of freedom, and/or along a lengthwise axis of the user object.

Claims

1. A force feedback interface device coupled to a host computer system implementing a host application program, the interface device comprising:

a user manipulatable object physically contacted by a user and movable in physical space in at least one degree of freedom with respect to a ground, said movement being approximately within a single plane;

a sensor operative to detect said movement of said user manipulatable object in physical space in said at least one degree of freedom with respect to said ground and to output sensor signals representative of said movement; and

an actuator coupled to said user manipulatable object and operative to apply a linear output force in a direction approximately perpendicular to said single plane of movement, said force applied along an axis extending through said user manipulatable object to an entire portion of said user manipulatable object grasped or rested upon by a hand of said user.

2. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said user manipulatable object is a mouse moveable in two degrees of freedom within said single plane.

3. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 2 wherein said entire grasped portion of said mouse moves as a result of receiving said force, wherein said movement is not sensed by said force feedback interface device.

4. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 2 wherein said actuator is coupled to a housing of said mouse and moves a portion of said housing in said direction approximately perpendicular to said plane.

5. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 4 wherein a cover portion of said housing is movably coupled to a base portion of said housing, and wherein said cover portion is moved by said actuator with respect to said base portion.

6. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 5 wherein said cover portion is coupled to said base portion by a hinge.

7. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuator is a linear actuator.

8. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 7 wherein said linear actuator is a voice coil actuator.

9. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 5 wherein said sensor includes two sensors, each of said sensors detecting movement of said mouse in one of said degrees of freedom in said single plane.

10. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 4 wherein said output force is correlated with a graphical representation displayed by said host computer, wherein a position of said mouse in said plane corresponds with a position of a cursor displayed in said graphical representation.

11. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 10 wherein said output force is a jolt correlated with the interaction of a user-controlled cursor with a graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface.

12. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 11 wherein said jolt is output with a magnitude dependent on a characteristic of said graphical object with which said cursor interacts.

13. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 12 wherein said characteristic of said graphical object is a type of said graphical object, wherein said type includes one of an icon, a window, and a menu item.

14. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 10 wherein said graphical representation includes a representation of a 3-D area having different elevations, and wherein said output force is correlated with an elevation of a portion of said graphical representation on which said cursor is displayed.

15. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said user manipulatable object is a stylus.

16. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 15 wherein said linear output force is output along a lengthwise axis extending through said stylus.

17. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said force is included in a force sensation, said force sensation being one of a jolt, vibration, constant force, and texture force.

18. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuator outputs said force directly on said user manipulatable object, wherein no transmission system is provided between said actuator and said user manipulatable object.

19. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said user manipulatable object is a wheel rotatable in said single plane, wherein said axis extends approximately through a center of said wheel.

20. A force feedback interface device coupled to a host computer system implementing a host application program, the interface device comprising:

to a user manipulatable object physically contacted by a user and movable in physical space in two rotary degrees of freedom with respect to a ground, said degrees of freedom approximately defining at least a portion of a surface of a sphere;

at least one sensor operative to detect said movement of said user manipulatable object in physical space in said two degrees of freedom with respect to said ground and output sensor signals representative of said movement; and

an actuator coupled to said user manipulatable object and operative to apply an output force in a linear degree of freedom that is approximately radial to said sphere and not in said two degrees of freedom, wherein said force is applied along a lengthwise axis of said user manipulatable object, and wherein said force feedback interface device includes no other actuators.

21. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 20 wherein said user manipulatable object is at least a portion of a joystick handle.

22. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 21 wherein said actuator is a linear actuator.

23. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 22 wherein said actuator is a linear voice coil actuator.

24. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 20 wherein motion along said lengthwise axis is not sensed by said force feedback interface device.

25. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 21 wherein said actuator includes a mechanical spring for biasing said at least a portion of said joystick handle toward an extended position.

26. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 21 wherein said actuator includes a plurality of magnets for biasing said at least a portion of said joystick handle toward an extended position.

27. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 20 wherein said actuator outputs said force directly on said user manipulatable object, wherein no transmission system is provided between said actuator and said user manipulatable object.

28. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 20 further comprising a microprocessor, separate from said host computer, coupled to said sensor and to said actuator, said microprocessor operative to receive host commands from said host computer and output force signals to said actuator for controlling said output force on said user object, and operative to receive said sensor signals from said sensors and report locative data to said host computer derived from said sensor signals and indicative of said movement of said user manipulatable object.

30. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 29 wherein said user manipulatable object is a stylus and said sensor is included in a tablet that can be contacted by said stylus.

31. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 30 wherein said stylus is not coupled to a mechanical linkage and is free to be moved by said user.

32. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 30 wherein said stylus includes a rigid tip for contact with said tablet, and wherein said actuator outputs a force to move a body portion of said stylus relative to a tip portion of said stylus.

33. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 30 wherein said stylus includes a ball in a tip of said stylus, said ball rotating in place when said stylus is moved across a surface.

34. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 33 wherein said actuator moves a brake pad against said ball to output a resistive force on said stylus.

35. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 29 wherein motion along said lengthwise axis is not sensed by said force feedback interface device.

36. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 29 wherein said user manipulatable object is a joystick handle and said plurality of degrees of freedom are rotary degrees of freedom, wherein a grip portion of said joystick handle is linearly moved along said lengthwise axis by said actuator relative to a base portion of said joystick handle.

37. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 36 wherein said actuator includes a physical spring for biasing said at least a portion of said joystick handle toward an extended position.

29. A force feedback interface device coupled to a host computer system implementing a host application program, the interface device comprising:

a user manipulatable object physically contacted by a user and movable in physical space in a plurality of degrees of freedom with respect to a ground;

at least one sensor operative to detect said movement of said user manipulatable object in physical space in said plurality of degrees of freedom with respect to said ground and output sensor signals representative of said movement;

a linear actuator coupled to said user manipulatable object and operative to apply a linear output force only along a lengthwise axis of said user manipulatable object and not in said plurality of degrees of freedom, wherein said force feedback device includes no other actuators.