Increasing force transmissibility for tactile feedback interface devices

• US 20070195059A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Shahoian, Erik, Martin, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,420 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 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/818 Fishing
• 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 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8035 Virtual fishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

Method and apparatus for increasing the transmissibility of forces produced by an actuator on a manipulandum. A haptic device, coupled to a host computer, outputs tactile sensations to a user based on interactions and events occurring in a displayed graphical environment. An actuator produces forces and a compliant suspension couples the actuator to the manipulandum. A compliance of the suspension is configured such that the suspension magnifies the forces for a particular frequency range of the forces. The magnified forces are transmitted to the manipulandum to be felt by the user.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a manipulandum adapted to provide an input signal upon being manipulated by the user;

a processor coupled to the manipulandum and configured to provide a graphical environment with which the user interacts utilizing the manipulandum;

an actuator within the manipulandum, the actuator configured to receive a control signal from the processor and produce a force based on the control signal, the control signal being based on at least one of an event within a graphical environment or the input signal; and

a compliant suspension mechanism coupled between the actuator and the manipulandum so as to suspend the actuator relative to the manipulandum, the compliant suspension mechanism configured to magnify the force produced by the actuator.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a damping member coupled between and in parallel with the actuator and the manipulandum, the damping member configured to reduce a peak magnitude of the force.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the manipulandum, the actuator, and the compliant suspension mechanism form a mechanical system having a resonant frequency, wherein the mechanical system increases the magnified force as an operation frequency of the actuator moves approaches the resonant frequency.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the force includes a first component associated with a first frequency range, the force includes a second component associated with a second frequency range different from the first frequency range.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the force includes a first component associated with a first amplitude range, the force includes a second component associated with a second amplitude range different from the first amplitude range.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the force includes a first component and a second component, the compliant suspension mechanism configured to only magnify the first component of the inertial force.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is operative to impart a single pulse of the force to the manipulandum.

8. A method, comprising:

transmitting an input signal from a manipulandum to a processor upon the manipulandum being manipulated by a user, wherein the processor provides a graphical environment with which the user is configured to interact utilizing the manipulandum;

transmitting a control signal to an actuator from the processor, wherein the control signal is based on at least one of an event within a graphical environment or the input signal; and

outputting a force from the actuator in response to the control signal, wherein the force is magnified utilizing a compliant suspension mechanism coupled to the actuator and the manipulandum, wherein the compliant suspension is configured to suspend the actuator relative to the manipulandum.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising reducing a peak magnitude of the force output using a damping member coupled to and parallel with the actuator and the manipulandum.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising increasing the magnification of the force by operating the actuator within a frequency range close to a resonant frequency of a mechanical system including the manipulandum, the actuator, and the compliant suspension.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the force includes a first component and a second component, the first component being associated with a first frequency range and the second component associated with a second frequency range different from the first frequency range.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the force includes a first component and a second component, the first component being associated with a first amplitude range and the second component associated with a second amplitude range different from the first amplitude range.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the force includes a first component and a second component, the compliant suspension mechanism configured to only magnify the first component of the inertial force.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the actuator is operative to impart a single pulse of the force to the manipulandum.

15. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for transmitting a force in a haptic device, the method including:

transmitting an input signal from a manipulandum to a processor upon the manipulandum being manipulated by a user, wherein the processor provides a graphical environment with which the user is configured to interact utilizing the manipulandum;

transmitting a control signal to an actuator from the processor, wherein the control signal is based on at least one of an event within a graphical environment or the input signal; and

outputting a force from the actuator in response to the control signal, wherein the force is magnified utilizing a compliant suspension mechanism coupled to the actuator and the manipulandum, wherein the compliant suspension is configured to suspend the actuator relative to the manipulandum.

16. The program storage device of claim 15, further comprising reducing a peak magnitude of the force output using a damping member coupled to and parallel with the actuator and the manipulandum.

17. The program storage device of claim 15, further comprising increasing the magnification of the force by operating the actuator within a frequency range close to a resonant frequency of a mechanical system including the manipulandum, the actuator, and the compliant suspension.

18. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the force includes a first component and a second component, the first component being associated with a first frequency range and the second component associated with a second frequency range different from the first frequency range.

19. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the force includes a first component and a second component, the first component being associated with a first amplitude range and the second component associated with a second amplitude range different from the first amplitude range.

20. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the force includes a first component and a second component, the compliant suspension mechanism configured to only magnify the first component of the inertial force.