Force feedback mechanism for gamepad device

• US 20050009606A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Murzanski, Chris A., Gordon, Gary L., Nielsen, Kurt T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,507,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/38
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• 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 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device

Abstract

A hand-held input device provides a directional force feedback that acts on a housing of the device. The input device includes a threaded shaft that is rotatably driven by an electric motor. The motor causes a mass to move in response to a control signal received from a host computing device, such as personal computer that is executing a game or simulation. When the mass is rapidly accelerated or abruptly stopped in response to the control signal, the change in momentum of the mass imparts a directional reactive force to the housing, and an operator holding the housing feels the haptic force.

Claims

1. A method for producing a haptic experience felt by an operator and corresponding to a condition in an electronic game environment by developing a plurality of reactive haptic forces that are applied to the operator through a housing on an input device held by the operator, comprising the steps of:

(a) responding to a condition in the electronic game environment by triggering generation of a haptic sensation effect by the input device;

(b) accessing at least one parameter for each of the plurality of reactive haptic forces that simulate the haptic sensation effect, where said at least one parameter for each of the plurality of reactive haptic forces is stored in a memory; and

(c) generating the plurality of reactive haptic forces by driving at least one mass disposed within the housing of the input device, as defined by said at least one parameter for each of the plurality of reactive haptic forces, a change in momentum of said at least one mass along at least one directional axis producing the plurality of reactive haptic forces that are applied to the housing and are thus transmitted through the housing to create the haptic experience felt by the operator holding the housing, corresponding to a condition in the electronic game environment.

2. A method for developing a plurality of reactive haptic forces that simulate an effect in an electronic game, wherein the plurality of reactive haptic forces are applied to an operator through a housing on an input device held by the operator, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting that a first signal has been received at the input device, said first signal causing the effect to be generated by the input device;

(b) accessing at least one parameter for each of the plurality of reactive haptic forces that simulate the effect, where said at least one parameter for each of the plurality of reactive haptic forces is stored in a memory; and

(c) generating the plurality of reactive forces by driving at least one mass disposed within the housing of the input device, as defined by said at least one parameter for each of the plurality of reactive forces, a change in momentum of said at least one mass along at least one directional axis producing the plurality of reactive haptic forces that are applied to the housing and are thus transmitted through the housing as haptic sensations to an operator holding the housing.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of enabling the operator to engage an operator manipulated component in the electronic game to generate the first signal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic game generates the first signal.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a host device generates the first signal.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of generating further comprises the step of producing sensations simulating a condition within the electronic game.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of reactive haptic forces are generated along a plurality of directional axes.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of storing a plurality of parameters defining a library of effects in the memory.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the effect that is simulated is selected from the library in response to the first signal, which indicates the effect that is selected.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of storing the plurality of parameters defining the library of effects in the memory before play of the electronic game is started.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the effect comprises a sequence of reactive haptic forces.

12. A memory medium having machine executable instructions for carrying out the steps of claim 2.

13. An electronic gaining input device that develops a plurality of reactive haptic forces to simulate an effect in an electronic game, comprising:

(a) a housing adapted to be held by an operator who will experience the plurality of reactive haptic forces that simulate the effect in the electronic game, a movable mass, and a driver for driving the movable mass to move in a manner defined by a drive signal applied to the driver;

(b) a processor adapted to be coupled in communication with a host device; and

(c) a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing machine instructions causing the processor to;

(i) detect that a first signal has been received at the input device, said first signal being applied to the processor to cause the effect to be generated by the input device;

(ii) in response to the first signal being applied, access at least one parameter for each of the plurality of reactive haptic forces that simulate the effect, where said at least one parameter for each of the plurality of reactive haptic forces is stored in the memory; and

(iii) generate the plurality of reactive haptic forces by employing the driver to drive the mass as defined by said at least one parameter for each of the plurality of reactive forces, a change in momentum of said mass along a directional axis producing the plurality of reactive haptic forces that are applied to the housing and are thus transmitted through the housing as haptic sensations to an operator holding the housing.

14. The electronic gaming input device of claim 13, further comprising a user input component that is manipulated by the user to generate the first signal.

15. The electronic gaming input device of claim 13, wherein the electronic game generates the first signal.

16. The electronic gaming input device of claim 13, wherein a host device generates the first signal.

17. The electronic gaming input device of claim 13, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to produce sensations simulating a condition within the electronic game.

18. The electronic gaming input device of claim 13, further comprising another mass and another driver that drives the mass so that the plurality of reactive haptic forces are generated along a plurality of different directional axes.

19. The electronic gaming input device of claim 13, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to store a plurality of parameters defining a library of effects in the memory.

20. The electronic gaming input device of claim 13, wherein the effect that is simulated is selected from the library by the processor in response to the first signal.

21. The electronic gaming input device of claim 13, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to store the plurality of parameters defining the library of effects in the memory before play of the electronic game is started.

22. The electronic gaming input device of claim 13, wherein the effect comprises a sequence of reactive haptic forces.