Haptic interface device and actuator assembly providing linear haptic sensations

• US 20040227726A1
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Shahoian, Erik J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,432,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 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 2300/8017 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 3/016 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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

An interface device and method providing haptic sensations to a user. A user physically contacts a housing of the interface device, and a sensor device detects the manipulation of the interface device by the user. An actuator assembly includes an actuator that provides output forces to the user as haptic sensations. In one embodiment, the actuator outputs a rotary force, and a flexure coupled to the actuator moves an inertial mass and/or a contact member. The flexure can be a unitary member that includes flex joints allowing a portion of the flexure to be linearly moved. The flexure can converts rotary force output by the actuator to linear motion, where the linear motion causes a force that is transmitted to the user. In another embodiment, the actuator outputs a force, and a mechanism coupling the actuator to the device housing uses the force to move the actuator with respect to the device housing. The actuator acts as an inertial mass when in motion to provide an inertial force that can be transmitted to the user. The mechanism can be a flexure including at least one flex joint or a mechanism with bearings.

Claims

1-66. -66. (canceled).

67. A device, comprising:

a sensor configured to output a sensor signal associated with one of a movement and a position of a housing to which the sensor is coupled;

an actuator coupled to the housing, the actuator being configured to output a rotary force based on a haptic feedback signal received from a processor, the haptic feedback signal being based on the sensor signal; and

a flexure having a plurality of flexible joints, the flexure being coupled to the actuator and the housing, the flexure being configured to translate the rotary force to a linear motion of the flexure, the flexure operative to output haptic feedback based on the rotary force.

68. The device of claim 67, wherein the linear motion is substantially along an axis perpendicular to a base of the housing, the base being configured to contact a planar support surface.

69. The device of claim 67, wherein the actuator includes an inertial mass, the inertial mass being configured to be moved linearly with the linear motion of the flexure, the haptic feedback including an inertial force.

70. The device of claim 67, wherein a portion of the flexure is coupled to a moveable contact member, the movable contact member being configured to receive user input.

71. The device of claim 67, wherein a portion of the flexure is coupled to a button coupled to the housing, the button configured to receive user input.

72. The device of claim 67, further comprising:

a rotating member coupled to a rotating shaft of the actuator and to at least one flex joint from the plurality of flex joints.

73. The device of claim 67, wherein the flexure includes a first arm member and a second arm member, the first arm member and the second arm member being configured to couple a linear moving portion of the flexure to a stationary portion of the flexure, the first arm member and the second arm member are coupled to the linear moving portion by at least one flex joint from the plurality of flex joints.

74. The device of claim 67, wherein the flexure includes a central member, a first branch member and a second branch member, the central member of the flexure is coupled to a rotating shaft of the actuator, the first branch member and the second branch member arranged in a substantially Y-configuration.

75. The device of claim 67, wherein the flexure includes a central member, a first branch member and a second branch member, the central member of the flexure is coupled to a rotating shaft of the actuator, the first branch member and the second branch member arranged in a substantially Y-configuration, at least one of the flex joints from the plurality of flex joints being disposed on each of the first branch member and the second branch member, at least one flex joint from the plurality of flex joints is disposed on the central member.

76. The device of claim 67, wherein the flexure includes:

a rotating member coupled to the housing by at least one flex joint from the plurality of flex joints, and

a first arm member and a second arm member, the first arm member and the second arm member coupling the actuator to the housing by at least one flex joint from the plurality of flex joints.

77. The device of claim 67, wherein the flexure includes:

a rotating member coupled to the housing by at least one flex joint from the plurality of flex joints, and

a first arm member and a second arm member, the first arm member and the second arm member coupling the actuator to the housing by at least one flex joint from the plurality of flex joints, the rotating member being coupled to the housing by a first flex joint and a second flex joint from the plurality of flex joints, the actuator being coupled to the housing by the first arm member and the second arm member, the first arm member and the second arm member including at least two of the flex joints from the plurality of flex joints.

78. The device of claim 67, wherein the actuator is driven bi-directionally, the haptic feedback including at least one of a pulse and a vibration.

79. The device of claim 67, wherein the flexure includes at least one stop to prevent motion of a shaft of the actuator past a desired portion of a full revolution.

80. The device of claim 67, wherein the linear motion is associated with a graphical representation displayed by the processor, the sensor signal being associated with a position of a cursor displayed in the graphical representation.

81. The device of claim 67, wherein the haptic feedback includes a pulse associated with a simulated interaction of a cursor with a graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface.

82. The device of claim 67, wherein the haptic feedback includes a pulse associated with a simulated interaction of a cursor with a graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface, the pulse having a magnitude associated with a characteristic of the graphical object.

83. The device of claim 67, wherein the haptic feedback includes a pulse associated with a simulated interaction of a cursor with a graphical object from a plurality of graphical objects displayed in a graphical user interface, the pulse having a magnitude associated with a type of the graphical object from the plurality of the graphical objects.

84. The device of claim 67, wherein the haptic feedback includes a pulse associated with a simulated interaction of a cursor with an item in a graphical menu.

85. The device of claim 67, wherein the haptic feedback includes at least one of a pulse, vibration, and texture force.

86. The device of claim 67, wherein the sensor includes a ball that is configured to frictionally contact a surface over which the housing is movable.

87. The device of claim 67, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor configured to detect a relative movement of the optical sensor with respect to a surface over which the housing is movable.

88. The device of claim 67, wherein the actuator is positioned such that a rotating shaft of the actuator is configured to rotate about an axis substantially orthogonal to a base of the housing.

89. A device, comprising:

a sensor configured to output a sensor signal associated with one of a movement and a position of a housing to which the sensor is coupled;

an actuator coupled to, and movable with respect to, the housing, the actuator being configured to output a force based on the sensor signal; and

a mechanism including a flexure having at least a first flex joint and a second flex joint, the mechanism configured to couple the actuator to the housing, the actuator having a mass and being configured to provide an inertial force as haptic feedback associated with the force,

90. The device of claim 89, wherein the actuator is configured to be moved in approximately a linear motion with respect to the housing.

91. The device of claim 89, wherein actuator is configured to output a rotary force.

92. The device of claim 89, wherein the actuator is configured to be moved in approximately a substantially linear motion, the linear motion being along a z-axis substantially orthogonal to an x-y plane, the device being configured to move in the x-y plane.

93. The device of claim 89, further comprising a contact member, the actuator being coupled to the contact member, the contact member being configured to move with respect to the housing in response to the force output by the actuator, the contact member being further configured to receive an external input force.

94. The device of claim 89, wherein the mechanism includes mechanical rotary bearings.

95. The device of claim 89, wherein the flexure includes:

a rotating member coupled to the housing by at least the first flex joint, and

a first arm member and a second arm member each configured to couple the actuator to the housing by at least the first flex joint.

96. The device of claim 89, wherein the flexure includes at least one stop to prevent rotation of a shaft of the actuator past a desired portion of a full revolution.

97. The device of claim 89, wherein the actuator is configured to move bi-directionally to output at least one of a pulse and a vibration.

98. The device of claim 89, wherein the haptic feedback is associated with a graphical representation displayed by a processor, a position of the housing in a planar workspace being associated with a position of a cursor displayed in the graphical representation.

99. The device of claim 89, wherein the haptic feedback is a pulse associated with the simulated interaction of a cursor with a graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface.

100. A method, comprising:

sending a sensor signal associated with one of a movement and a position of an interface device; and

outputting via an actuator haptic feedback based on the sensor signal, the actuator being coupled to a housing of the interface device via a flexure, the flexure having at least one flex joint, the flexure being configured to couple the actuator to the housing.

101. The method of claim 100, wherein the haptic feedback is associated with a haptic feedback signal received by the interface device from a processor.

102. The method of claim 100, wherein the actuator is moved in approximately a linear motion.

103. The method of claim 100, wherein the haptic feedback output by the actuator is associated with a rotary motion of the actuator.

104. The method of claim 100, wherein the actuator is moved in approximately a linear motion along a z-axis substantially orthogonal to a base of the housing.

105. An apparatus, comprising:

an actuator having an actuator housing and a rotating shaft, the actuator housing being configured to be coupled to, and movable with respect to, a housing of an interface device, the actuator having a mass and being configured to output an inertial force; and

a flexure mechanism including at least one flex joint, a movement of the actuator being associated with a haptic feedback and based on the inertial force.

106. The apparatus of claim 105, wherein the actuator moves approximately linearly.

107. The apparatus of claim 105, wherein the inertial force output by the actuator is a rotary force.

108. The apparatus of claim 105, wherein a rotating shaft of the actuator is coupled to a flexure arm including the at least one flex joint, the flexure arm being configured to be coupled to a portion of the interface device housing, the interface device housing being flexibly coupled to a carriage, the carriage being coupled to the actuator housing.

109. The apparatus of claim 105, wherein the flexure mechanism includes a travel limiter configured to limit the movement of the actuator within a desired range of motion.