Systems and methods for providing a haptic manipulandum

• US 20050007347A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, David W., Anastas, George, Yu, Raymond, Tashjian, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a haptic manipulandum are described. In one described system, a lever arm is pivotably coupled to a housing, and configured to apply a processor-controlled force to a substantially-spherical manipulandum to provide a haptic effect. The described system may include a processor in communication with an actuator for providing the haptic effect.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a substantially-spherical manipulandum;

a lever arm pivotably coupled to the housing, and configured to apply a processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum to provide a haptic effect.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor-controlled force comprises a substantially-normal, processor-controlled force, the substantially-normal, processor controlled force directed substantially normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect comprises a predetermined haptic effect.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor-controlled force comprises a first processor-controlled force, and further comprising:

a roller rotatably coupled to the lever arm configured to apply a second processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum, the second processor-controlled force being associated with the first processor-controlled force.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the lever arm is configured to apply the first processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum via the roller.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a first actuator in communication with the lever arm configured to generate the first processor-controlled force; and

a second actuator in communication with the roller configured to generate the second processor-controlled force.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a sensing device in communication with at least one of the substantially-spherical manipulandum, the lever arm, the roller, the first actuator, and the second actuator.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sensing device is configured to sense a movement of at least one of the substantially-spherical manipulandum, the lever arm, the roller, the first actuator, and the second actuator.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a processor in communication with the sensing device and at least one of the first actuator and the second actuator, wherein the processor is configured to control the generation of at least one of the first processor-controlled force and the second processor-controlled force.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises a trackball.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an actuator configured to pivotably provide a processor-controlled force to a contacting surface in communication with a substantially-spherical manipulandum to provide a haptic effect.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor-controlled force comprises a substantially-normal, processor-controlled force, the substantially-normal, processor controlled force directed substantially normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the contacting surface is configured to communicate the processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the contacting surface comprises a roller.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a lever disposed between the actuator and the contacting surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the actuator is configured to pivotably provide the processor-controlled force to the contacting surface via the lever.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the lever is configured to provide pivotable communication between the contacting surface and the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the actuator comprises a first actuator, the processor-controlled force comprises a first processor-controlled force, and further comprising:

a second actuator configured to provide a second processor-controlled force to the contacting surface, wherein the second processor-controlled force comprises a first component normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum and a second component tangential to the surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum, and is associated with the first processor-controlled force.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a sensing device in communication with at least one of the substantially-spherical manipulandum, the contacting surface, the first actuator, and the second actuator.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the sensing device is configured to sense a movement of at least one of the substantially-spherical manipulandum, the contacting surface, the first actuator, and the second actuator.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a processor in communication with the sensing device and at least one of the first actuator and the second actuator, wherein the processor is configured to control the generation of at least one of the first processor-controlled force and the second processor-controlled force.

22. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises a trackball.

23. A method comprising:

pivotably applying a first processor-controlled force to a substantially-spherical manipulandum to provide a haptic effect; and

applying a second processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum to provide the haptic effect, wherein the second processor-controlled force comprises a first component normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum and a second component tangential to the surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein pivotably applying the first processor-controlled force comprises pivotably applying a substantially-normal, processor-controlled force, the substantially-normal, processor controlled force directed substantially normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the second processor-controlled force is associated with the first processor-controlled force.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the second processor-controlled force is associated with a force associated with the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein pivotably applying the first processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises applying a pivoting force to a lever arm configured to apply the first processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein applying the second processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises applying the second processor-controlled force to a roller rotatably coupled to the lever arm configured to apply the second processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising sensing a movement of at least one of the substantially-spherical manipulandum, the lever arm, and the roller, and varying at least one of the first processor-controlled force and second processor-controlled force in response.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises a trackball.

31. A method comprising:

pivotably applying a first processor-controlled force to a contacting surface in communication with a substantially-spherical manipulandum to provide a haptic effect; and

applying a second processor-controlled force to the contacting surface, wherein the second processor-controlled force comprises a first component normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum and a second component tangential to the surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein pivotably applying the first processor-controlled force comprises pivotably applying a substantially-normal, processor-controlled force, the substantially-normal, processor controlled force directed substantially normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the second processor-controlled force is associated with the first processor-controlled force.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the second processor-controlled force is associated with a force associated with the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the contacting surface comprises a roller.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein pivotably applying the first processor-controlled force to the contacting surface comprises applying the first processor-controlled force to a lever in communication with the contacting surface.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising sensing a movement of at least one of the substantially-spherical manipulandum and the contacting surface, and varying at least one of the first processor-controlled force and the second processor-controlled force in response.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises a trackball.

39. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded program code, the program code comprising:

program code for pivotably applying a first processor-controlled force to a substantially-spherical manipulandum to provide a haptic effect; and

program code for applying a second processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum to provide the haptic effect, wherein the second processor-controlled force comprises a first component normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum and a second component tangential to the surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the program code for pivotably applying the first processor-controlled force comprises program code for pivotably applying a substantially-normal, processor-controlled force, the substantially-normal, processor controlled force directed substantially normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the second processor-controlled force is associated with the first processor-controlled force.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the second processor-controlled force is associated with a force associated with the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the program code for pivotably applying the first processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises program code for applying a pivoting force to a lever arm configured to apply the first processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the program code for applying the second processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises program code for applying the second processor-controlled force to a roller rotatably coupled to the lever arm configured to apply the second processor-controlled force to the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, further comprising program code for sensing a movement of at least one of the substantially-spherical manipulandum, the lever arm, and the roller, and program code for varying at least one of the first processor-controlled force and second processor-controlled force in response.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises a trackball.

47. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded program code, the program code comprising:

program code for pivotably applying a first processor-controlled force to a contacting surface in communication with a substantially-spherical manipulandum to provide a haptic effect; and

program code for applying a second processor-controlled force to the contacting surface, wherein the second processor-controlled force comprises a first component normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum and a second component tangential to the surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the program code for pivotably applying the first processor-controlled force comprises program code for pivotably applying a substantially-normal, processor-controlled force, the substantially-normal, processor controlled force directed substantially normal to a surface of the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the second processor-controlled force is associated with the first processor-controlled force.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the second processor-controlled force is associated with a force associated with the substantially-spherical manipulandum.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the contacting surface comprises a roller.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the program code for pivotably applying the first processor-controlled force to the contacting surface comprises program code for applying the first processor-controlled force to a lever in communication with the contacting surface.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, further comprising program code for sensing a movement of at least one of the substantially-spherical manipulandum and the contacting surface, and program code for varying at least one of the first processor-controlled force and the second processor-controlled force in response.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the substantially-spherical manipulandum comprises a trackball.