Force feedback device including actuator with moving magnet

• US 20040227727A1
• Filed: 03/08/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Schena, Bruce M., Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,944,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04748 Position sensor for rotary movement, e.g. potentiometer
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04755 Magnetic sensor, e.g. hall generator, pick-up coil
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• 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 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas

Abstract

A force feedback interface device is coupled to a host computer that displays a graphical environment, the device including a user manipulatable object physically contacted and moveable by a user. A sensor detects a position of the user object and provides a sensor signal to the host computer, where the sensor signal includes information representative of the position of the user object. An actuator is coupled to the device or user object and outputs a force on the user manipulatable object or a housing of the device. The actuator includes a magnet and a grounded coil, where the magnet moves approximately within a plane with respect to the coil, and wherein a current is provided in the coil to generate the force. Other embodiments provide a magnet that moves in a linear degree of freedom within a coil housing, or provide an at least partially spherical magnet providing rotary degrees of freedom to a user manipulatable object coupled to the magnet. One embodiment includes a planar frame support mechanism.

Claims

1-29. -29. (Canceled)

30. A device, comprising:

a manipulatable object moveable in at least one degree of freedom;

at least one sensor configured to output a sensor signal based on a position of the manipulatable object, the position being associated with a graphical environment; and

an actuator configured to output a force feedback based on at least the sensor signal, the actuator including a magnet and a grounded coil, the magnet configured to move approximately within a plane, the grounded coil being disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the magnet.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the actuator is coupled to the manipulatable object and is configured to output the force feedback to the manipulatable object.

32. The device of claim 30, further comprising a local processor configured to receive host commands from a host processor associated with the graphical environment, the local processor configured to output a force feedback signal to the actuator, the force feedback signal including the sensor signal and the host commands.

33. The device of claim 30, further comprising a support coupled to the manipulatable object and the actuator, the support including a five-bar linkage, the at least one degree of freedom being a rotary degree of freedom.

34. The device of claim 30, further comprising a support coupled to the manipulatable object and the actuator, the support including at least one joint member coupled to the actuator and the manipulatable object, the manipulatable object configured to move in two linear degrees of freedom.

35. The device of claim 30, further comprising a support coupled to the manipulatable object and the actuator, the support including a flexible joint coupled to the actuator and the manipulatable object.

36. The device of claim 30, further comprising a frame coupled to the manipulatable object and the actuator, the manipulatable object configured to move in a linear degree of freedom.

37. The device of claim 30, the actuator being a first actuator, the device further comprising a second actuator coupled to the manipulatable object and configured to output a force feedback in a second degree of freedom different from the first degree of freedom, the force feedback associated with the second degree of freedom being different from the force feedback associated with the first degree of freedom, the first degree of freedom and the second degree of freedom defining a plane.

38. The device of claim 30, further comprising a frame coupled to the manipulatable object and the actuator, the frame including a plurality of bearings positioned between the frame and a ground surface.

39. The device of claim 30, wherein the magnet is configured to move rotationally in the plane about an axis of rotation extending out of the plane.

40. The device of claim 30, wherein the magnet is configured to move rotationally in the plane about an axis of rotation extending out of the plane, the grounded coil being disposed about an axis that is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the magnet.

41. The device of claim 30, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

42. A device, comprising:

a manipulatable object moveable in at least two linear degrees of freedom;

at least one sensor configured to output a sensor signal based on a position of the manipulatable object, the position being associated with a graphical environment; and

a plurality of actuators coupled to the manipulatable object, each of the plurality of actuators configured to output a force feedback from a plurality of force feedbacks, each force feedback from the plurality of force feedbacks being based on at least the sensor signal, each actuator from the plurality of actuators including a magnet and a grounded coil, the magnet configured to move approximately within a plane, the grounded coil for each actuator from the plurality of actuators being disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the plane associated with the magnet; and

a frame coupling the manipulatable object to the plurality of actuators.

43. The device of claim 42, further comprising a plurality of bearings positioned between the frame and a ground surface.

44. The device of claim 42, further comprising a plurality of bearings positioned between the frame and a ground surface, each bearing from the plurality of bearings including a ball, a portion of each ball being positioned in an indentation from a plurality of indentations defined by the frame, each ball being configured to allow movement of the frame in the two planar degrees of freedom.

45. The device of claim 42, wherein the magnet of each actuator from the plurality of actuators is coupled to the frame, the coil of each actuator from the plurality of actuators is disposed around a projection, the projection extending approximately perpendicular to the plane defined by the two planar degrees of freedom.

46. A method, comprising:

sending a sensor signal associated with a position of a manipulatable object in a degree of freedom, the sensor signal being associated with a graphical environment; and

outputting a force feedback via an actuator, the force feedback based at least on the sensor signal, the actuator including a grounded coil and a magnet, the magnet configured to move approximately within a plane, the grounded coil being disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the magnet.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising receiving host commands at a local processor, the host commands being associated with the graphical environment, the local processor configured to output a force feedback signal to the actuator based on the force feedback signal, the force feedback signal including the sensor signal and the host commands.

48. A method as recited in claim 46, wherein the magnet is configured to be rotated about an axis of rotation approximately perpendicular to an axis about which the grounded coil is wrapped.