System for interfacing between an operator and a virtual object for computer aided design applications

• US 20060119578A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ajay Anand, Ameya Vasudeo Kamerkar, Thenkurussi Kesavadas
• Original Assignee: Ajay Anand, Ameya Vasudeo Kamerkar, Thenkurussi Kesavadas
• Inventors: Kesavadas, Thenkurussi, Anand, Ajay, Kamerkar, Ameya Vasudeo
• Application Number:
  US11/272,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119578A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

An apparatus (15) for interfacing between an operator (26) and computer generated virtual object comprising a force sensor (19) that provides a force signal as a function of the amount of force applied to a representative physical body (22), a position sensor (18) that provides a position signal representative of the location of the position sensor when the force is applied, an article (16) for coupling the force sensor and the position sensor to an extremity of an operator, and a processor system (20) communicating with the force sensor and the position sensor and adapted to deform a virtual object (24) as a function of the force signal and the position signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for interfacing between an operator and a computer generated virtual object comprising;

a force sensor that provides a force signal as a function of the amount of force applied to a representative physical body;

a position sensor that provides a position signal representative of the location of the position sensor when said force is applied;

an article for coupling said force sensor and said position sensor to an extremity of an operator;

a processor system communicating with said force sensor and said position sensor and adapted to deform a virtual object as a function of said force signal and said position signal.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said body comprises deformable material.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 2, wherein said deformable material is clay.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said body is selected from a group consisting of a table top, a pad and a ball.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, and further comprising at least one additional position sensor and at least one additional force sensor.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 5, wherein said article comprises a glove having multiple fingers and said force sensors and said position sensors are supported by said glove.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said article comprises a strip of material configured to wrap around a finger of said operator or an exoskeletal device adapted to be supported by a hand of said operator.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said virtual object is a three dimensional object.

9. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said deformation is a function of predetermined properties of said virtual object.

10. A method of modeling a parametric surface comprising the steps of:

defining control points of a virtual object;

defining properties of said control points;

providing a physical device having a force sensor that provides a force signal and a position sensor that provides a position signal;

providing a physical body;

moving said device relative to said body;

reading said force signal from said force sensor and said position signal from said position sensor;

processing said force and position signals to select one or more control points and corresponding force vectors, said force vectors being a function of said force and position signals;

providing a virtual representation of said object;

displaying said virtual representation of said object on a display;

providing a virtual representation of a deformation of said object as a function of said processed signals and said properties; and

displaying said virtual representation of said deformation on said display.

11. The method set forth in claim 10, and further comprising the steps of providing a virtual representation of said physical device and displaying said virtual representation of said device on said display.

12. The method set forth in claim 10, wherein said physical device is selected from a group consisting of a probe, a finger, a knife, a stamp, a pestle, a hammer and a sculpting tool.

13. The method set forth in claim 11, wherein said virtual representation is selected from a group consisting of a probe, a finger, a knife, a stamp, a pestle, a hammer and a sculpting tool.

14. The method set forth in claim 10, wherein said properties of said control points are selected from a group consisting of softness, stiffness, hardness, elasticity and viscosity.

15. The method set forth in claim 10, wherein said step of defining control points comprises entering control points manually or entering dimensions of said object and computing said control points from said dimensions.

16. The method set forth in claim 11, and further comprising the step of defining at least one property of said virtual representation of said device and wherein said virtual representation of said deformation of said object is a function of said property of said virtual representation of said device.