Haptic authoring

• US 20020109708A1
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cybernet Haptic Systems Corporation A Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Haanpaa, Douglas, Peurach, Thomas M., Yocum, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Methods are presented for authoring geometrical databases which incorporate touch or haptic feedback. In particular, a database of geometrical elements incorporates attributes necessary to support haptic interactions such as stiffness, hardness, friction, and so forth. Users may instantiate objects designed through CAD/CAM environments or attach haptic or touch attributes to subcomponents such as surfaces or solid sub-objects. The resulting haptic/visual databases or world-describing models can then be viewed and touched using a haptic browser or other appropriate user interface.

Claims

1. A method of haptic authoring, comprising the steps of:

developing a database describing one or more virtual objects in a virtual world, the database including geometric data facilitating object visualization;

assigning haptic attributes to one or more of the virtual objects; and

providing an interface enabling a user to both view and feel the objects to which the haptic attributes have been assigned.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing facilities for navigating and editing the database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is substantially encoded in a standard graphics format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database and interface are co-resident on the same computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the database and interface are resident on different computer systems in communication over a network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the computer systems communicate through hyperlinks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects include both static and dynamic objects.

8. The method of claim 1, including one or more haptic attributes which resist stretching and compression to simulate object stiffness and elasticity.

9. The method of claim 1, including one or more haptic attributes enabling a new object to be positioned relative to an existing object with a resistive force at a point of contact between the two objects.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the resistive force is viscosity.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the resistive force is friction.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the resistive force is repulsion.

13. The method of claim 1, including one or more haptic attributes associated with material removal.

14. The method of claim 1, including one or more haptic attributes which demark the locations of menu items, dialog response locations, and icons.

15. The method of claim 1, including one or more haptic attributes which maintain orientation or positional constraints while performing multiple operations.

16. The method of claim 1, further including the step of using a transform and object hierarchy for coding haptic world and object databases.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the steps of:

defining a three-dimensional grid with discrete grid positions with respect to the virtual world; and

moving to a particular discrete grid position in response to the user position, orientation and applied force.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the object includes a control feature, the method further including the step of:

snapping to the control feature in response to the user position, orientation and applied force.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the control feature is an end-point.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the control feature is the center of the object.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the control feature is a control point of a b-spline.

17. A method of haptic authoring, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer system including a memory and a display device;

storing, in the memory, a database including information which describes an object viewable on the display device;

assigning a haptic attribute to the object in the database;

providing a visual/haptic avatar;

using the avatar to;

a) visualize a user'"'"'s position relative to the object, and

b) interact with the object through touch; and

editing the haptic attribute until achieving a desired tactical interaction using the avatar.

18. A method of haptic authoring in response to a user position and orientation, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer system including a memory and a display device;

storing, in the memory, information relating to a three-dimensional virtual world, the information including the description of a virtual object in terms of geometrical surface data enabling the object to be viewed on the display device, along with one or more attributes relating to touch;

providing an avatar with multiple degrees of freedom enabling user position and orientation to be visualized on the display device in conjunction with the virtual object;

determining user-applied force from the user position and orientation;

mapping the user position, orientation and applied force into the virtual world to determine interactions between the user and the virtual object;

generating a virtual reality force field in response to the interactions as a function of the stored attributes relating to touch;

directing a tactile force on the user through the avatar in response to the virtual reality force field;

editing the database until achieving a desired tactical force.