Haptic feedback using rotary harmonic moving mass

• US 20030201975A1
• Filed: 11/22/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Grant, Danny, Shahoian, Erik, Tierling, Kollin, Bailey, David, Jasso, Alex, Martin, Ken, Vassallo, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,161,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A haptic device comprises an actuator and a mass. The actuator has a shaft. The actuator is elastically coupled to the mass and/or a base.

Claims

1. A haptic device, comprising:

an actuator having a shaft; and

a mass being coupled to the shaft of the actuator,

the actuator being elastically coupled to at least one of the mass and a base.

2. The haptic device of claim 1, wherein:

the actuator and the mass collectively has a first operational mode associated with a range of frequencies and a second operational mode associated with a range of frequencies different from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode, the range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode including a harmonic frequency associated with the elastic coupling of the actuator to at least one of the mass and a base.

3. The haptic device of claim 2, wherein:

the actuator and the mass collectively has a third operational mode that includes a superposition of the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

4. The haptic device of claim 1, the mass being a first mass, further comprising:

a second mass elastically coupled to the shaft of the actuator according to a spring constant,

the first mass being elastically coupled to the shaft of the actuator according to a spring constant different from the spring constant associated with the second mass.

5. The haptic device of claim 1, wherein:

the actuator and the second mass collectively has a third operational mode associated with a range of frequencies different from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode and the range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode, the range of frequencies associated with the third operational mode including a harmonic frequency associated with the elastic coupling of the second mass to the actuator.

6. A haptic device, comprising:

a rotary actuator having a shaft;

an elastic member coupled to the shaft of the rotary actuator; and

a mass coupled to the elastic element.

7. The haptic device of claim 6, wherein:

the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively has a first operational mode associated with a range of frequencies and a second operational mode associated with a range of frequencies different from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode.

8. The haptic device of claim 7, wherein:

the shaft of the rotary actuator defines a first axis about which the mass rotates when the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively are in the first operational mode, and

the elastic member has a location that defines a second axis about which the mass pivots when the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively are in the second operational mode.

9. The haptic device of claim 7, wherein:

the second operational mode is associated with a harmonic frequency of the elastic member and associated with the mass.

10. The haptic device of claim 7, wherein:

the second operational mode is associated with a harmonic frequency of the elastic member, and

the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively has a third operational mode associated with a superposition of the range of frequencies of the first operational mode and the range of frequencies of the second operational mode.

11. The haptic device of claim 10, wherein:

the actuator is configured to receive a signal, the actuator is configured to rotate the shaft based on the signal so that the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively operates in one of the first operational mode, the second operational mode and the third operational mode.

12. The haptic device of claim 6, further comprising:

a first stop coupled to the rotary actuator at a location of the rotary actuator; and

a second stop coupled to the rotary actuator at a location of the rotary actuator different from the location at which the first stop is coupled to the rotary actuator, the elastic member being coupled to the rotary actuator between the location at which the first stop is coupled to the rotary actuator and the location at which the second stop is coupled to the rotary actuator.

13. The haptic device of claim 12, wherein:

the first stop has a first end and a second end, the first end of the first stop being at the location at which the first stop is coupled to the rotary actuator, the first stop having an angular dimension, a width of the first stop along the angular dimension being greater at a location proximate the first end of the first stop than at a location proximate the second end of the first stop.

14. The haptic device of claim 12, wherein:

the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively has a first operational mode associated with its own range of frequencies and a second operational mode associated with its own range of frequencies different from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode, the second operational mode being associated with a range of effective harmonic frequencies defined, at least in part, by a shape of the first stop and a shape of the second stop.

15. A haptic device, comprising:

means for receiving a signal having at least one of a first frequency component and a second frequency component; and

means for rotating a mass, the means for rotating the mass configured to respond to the means for receiving in a first operational mode and a second operational mode, the first operational mode being associated with the first frequency component, the second operational mode being associated with the second frequency component.

16. The haptic device of claim 15, wherein:

the means for rotating the mass is further configured to respond to the means for receiving in a third operational mode, the third operational mode being associated with the first frequency component and the second frequency component.

17. The haptic device of claim 15, wherein:

the first operational mode of the means for rotating being associated with a range of frequencies,

the second operational mode of the means for rotating being associated with a range of frequencies, the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode of the means for rotating being different than the range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode of the means for rotating.

18. The haptic device of claim 17, wherein:

the means for rotating includes an elastic member associated with a harmonic frequency,

the range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode of the means for rotating includes the harmonic frequency, the harmonic frequency is greater than a frequency from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode of the means for rotating.

19. The haptic device of claim 18, wherein:

the means for rotating includes a first stop, a second stop and an elastic member,

the range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode of the means for rotating including a frequency greater than a frequency from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode of the means for rotating, and

the range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode of the means for rotating including the harmonic frequency is a range of effective harmonic frequencies defined, at least in part, by a shape of the first stop and a shape of the second stop.

20. A haptic device, comprising:

a first rotary actuator having its own shaft, the first rotary actuator being elastically coupled to a base; and

an eccentric mass coupled to the first rotary actuator.

21. The haptic device of claim 20, further comprising:

a first gear coupled to the shaft of the first rotary actuator; and

a second gear coupled to its own shaft and to the first gear, the eccentric mass being coupled to the second gear.

22. The haptic device of claim 20, further comprising:

a spring, the first rotary actuator being elastically coupled to the base by the spring.

23. The haptic device of claim 20, further comprising:

a bracket having a pivot portion, the first rotary actuator being elastically coupled to the base by the bracket, the pivot portion of the bracket defining a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to an axis defined by the shaft of the first rotary actuator.

24. The haptic device of claim 20, further comprising:

a second rotary actuator having its own shaft, the shaft of the second rotary actuator being coupled to the shaft of the first rotary actuator, the eccentric mass being coupled to at least one from the shaft of the first rotary actuator and the shaft of the second rotary actuator.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a mass; and

an actuator coupled to the mass, the actuator and the mass collectively configured to have a first operational mode associated with a range of frequencies and a second operational mode associated with a range of frequencies different from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein:

the actuator and the mass is collectively configured to have a third operational mode that includes a superposition of the first operational mode and the second operational mode.