Force sense imparting/ inputting apparatus capable of preventing oscillation of operation member, and imparting force sense

• US 20040061463A1
• Filed: 09/18/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hayasaka, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,859,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/280
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

Force in a direction opposite to an operating direction imparted from a motor to a rotary knob is increased gradually at the start of an operation to an upper limit value with the increase of a rotating angle of the rotary knob in the same direction as the operating direction, and is gradually decreased at the finish of the operation from the upper limit value to 0 with the increase of the rotating angle in the opposite direction to the operating direction. In consequence, when the operation is stopped before or at the time at which force in the opposite direction to the operating direction imparted to the rotary knob reaches the upper value, the rotary knob returns to the angle at which it has existed before operated, and can come to halt without oscillation.

Claims

1. A force sense imparting/inputting apparatus comprising:

an operation member capable of operating in both normal and opposite directions;

an electric actuator capable of imparting force in both normal and opposite directions to said operation member;

detection means for detecting an operating direction and an operating amount of said operation member; and

control means for controlling said electric actuator so that force in the opposite direction to the operating direction of said operation member can be imparted to said operation member in accordance with the operating direction detected by said detection means;

wherein said control means is set so that;

said force in the opposite direction to the operating direction imparted from said electric actuator to said operation member increases at the start of the operation of said operation member from 0 to a predetermined upper limit value with the increase of the operating amount of said operation member on the basis of a predetermined function;

said force in the opposite direction to the operating direction imparted from said electric actuator to said operation member is kept at said upper limit value during the operation of said operation member; and

said force in the opposite direction to the operating direction imparted from said electric actuator to said operation member decreases at the finish of the operation of said operation member from said upper limit value to 0 with the increase of the operating amount of said operation member in the opposite direction to the operating direction of said operation member on the basis of said predetermined function.

2. A force sense imparting/inputting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined function is a linear function having a gradient of greater than 0.

3. A force sense imparting/inputting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operation member is disposed in such a fashion as to be capable of rotating in both normal and opposite directions, and said electric actuator comprises a motor capable of imparting torque in both normal and opposite directions to said operation member.