SYNCHRONIZED VIBRATION DEVICE FOR HAPTIC FEEDBACK

• US 20110190058A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Vibration Corporation
• Original Assignee: Coactive Drive Corporation
• Inventors: Delson, Nathan, Houston, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,390,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• 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 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• 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 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

The present invention relates to synchronized vibration devices that can provide haptic feedback to a user. A wide variety of actuator types may be employed to provide synchronized vibration, including linear actuators, rotary actuators, rotating eccentric mass actuators, and rocking mass actuators. A controller may send signals to one or more driver circuits for directing operation of the actuators. The controller may provide direction and amplitude control, vibration control, and frequency control to direct the haptic experience. Parameters such as frequency, phase, amplitude, duration, and direction can be programmed or input as different patterns suitable for use in gaming, virtual reality and real-world situations.

Claims

1. An apparatus usable in a game controller, the apparatus comprising:

a first linear resonant actuator coupled to a housing, the first linear resonant actuator having a first vibration axis and being configured to produce a first vibration force;

a second linear resonant actuator coupled to the housing, the second linear resonant actuator having a second vibration axis and being configured to produce a second vibration force; and

means for synchronously vibrating the first and second linear resonant actuators to produce at least one of a combined vibration force on the housing the first and second vibration forces or a combined vibration torque on the housing such that a haptic sensation is provided to a user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second vibration axes are not parallel to each other.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second vibration axes are not orthogonal to each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second vibration axes are either substantially parallel to each other or are substantially orthogonal to each other.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second linear resonant actuators is operable to vibrate at a frequency less than 50 Hertz.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a resonant frequency of at least one of the first and second linear resonant actuators is within a predefined range of frequencies, and the at least one of the first and second linear resonant actuators is configured to operate over the predefined range of frequencies including the resonant frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second linear resonant actuators are operable to synchronously vibrate to generate at least one Lissajous vibration profile.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second linear resonant actuator is configured to vibrate at a frequency that is an integer multiple of a vibration frequency of the first linear resonant actuators, the value of the integer being greater than one.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for synchronously vibrating the first and second linear resonant actuators is operable to synchronously vibrate the first and second linear resonant actuators for a first duration of time and to vibrate the first and second linear resonant actuators asynchronously for a second duration of time.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for synchronously vibrating the first and second linear resonant actuators is operable to pulse the first and second linear resonant actuators on and off to provide the haptic sensation, thereby generating one or more secondary sensations associated with a frequency of the pulsing.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a third linear resonant actuator coupled to the housing, the third linear resonant actuator being individually operable to produce a third vibration force on the housing;

wherein the means to synchronously vibrate is further operable to synchronously vibrate the third linear resonant actuator with the first and second linear resonant actuators to produce a combined vibration spanning three spatial dimensions.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured as part of the game controller for attachment directly onto a user'"'"'s body to provide the haptic sensation to the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the haptic sensation correlates with an action in a simulated environment.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the haptic sensation provides directional feedback to the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operable to produce a rotating vibration force vector.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the haptic sensation comprises a vibration pattern.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the vibration pattern is one pattern within a sequence of patterns.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the vibration pattern is one pattern is selected from the set consisting of a circular vibration pattern, an elliptical vibration pattern, a vibration pattern of a line, a vibration pattern of a parabola, and a vibration pattern of a hyperbola.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second linear resonant actuators are configured to vary an amplitude of the vibration pattern over time.

20. An apparatus usable in a game controller, the apparatus comprising:

a first pivoting resonant actuator coupled to a housing, the first pivoting resonant actuator having a first rotation axis and being configured to produce at least one of a first vibration force and a first vibration torque;

a second pivoting resonant actuator coupled to the housing, the second pivoting resonant actuator having a second rotation axis and being configured to produce at least one of a second vibration force and a second vibration torque; and

means for synchronously vibrating the first and second pivoting resonant actuators to produce at least one of a combined vibration force on the housing the first and second vibration forces or a combined vibration torque on the housing the first and second vibration torques such that a haptic sensation is provided to the user.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first and second rotation axes are not parallel to each other.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first and second rotation axes are substantially parallel to each other.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, whereat least one of the first and second pivoting resonant actuators is operable to vibrate at a frequency less than 50 Hertz.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a resonant frequency of at least one of the first and second pivoting resonant actuators is within a predefined range of frequencies, and the at least one of the first and second pivoting resonant actuators is configured to operate over the predefined range of frequencies including the resonant frequency.

25. An apparatus usable in a game controller, the apparatus comprising:

at least one input device configured to receive input from a user;

a first piezoelectric actuator coupled to a housing;

a second piezoelectric actuator coupled to the housing;

wherein the first and second piezoelectric actuators are individually operable to each produce at least one of a vibration force or a vibration torque onto the housing; and

means for synchronously vibrating the first and second piezoelectric actuators to produce at least one of a combined vibration force or a combined vibration torque on the housing such that a haptic sensation is provided to the user.

26. An apparatus usable in a game controller, the apparatus comprising:

a first set of at least two rotary actuators with eccentric rotating masses coupled to a housing of the apparatus and aligned relative to each other, the first set of rotary actuators being configured to counter-rotate relative to each other and to produce a first linear vibration force on the housing;

a second set of at least one actuator being configured to produce a second linear vibration force on the housing; and

means for synchronously vibrating the first and second sets of actuators to produce at least one of a combined vibration force or a combined vibration torque on the housing such that a haptic sensation is provided to a user.

27. An apparatus usable in a game controller, the apparatus comprising:

a first set of at least two linear resonant actuators each coupled to a housing of the apparatus, the first set of linear resonant actuators being aligned relative to each other and being configured to produce a first vibration torque on the housing;

a second set of at least one actuator being configured to produce at least one of a vibration force or a second vibration torque on the housing; and

means for synchronously vibrating the actuators of the first and second sets so that the first vibration torque and at least one of the vibration force and the second vibration torque produce a combined vibration force or a combined vibration torque on the housing such that a haptic sensation is provided to the user.

28. A game controller system, comprising:

a first game device having a first housing and a first plurality of actuators disposed in the first housing, the first plurality of actuators being configured to synchronously vibrate to provide a first haptic sensation to a user;

a second game device having a second housing and a second plurality of actuators disposed in the second housing, the second plurality of actuators being configured to synchronously vibrate to provide a second haptic sensation to the user; and

a controller operatively coupled to the first and second game devices, the controller being configured to generate a first signal for the first plurality of actuators to synchronously vibrate, and to generate a second signal for the second plurality of actuators to synchronously vibrate.

29. The game controller system of claim 28, further comprising an input device for receiving input from the user, the input device being coupled to the controller, and the controller being configured to vary the first and second signals in response to the received input.

30. The game controller system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the first and second housings is configured for attachment directly onto a user'"'"'s body to provide at least one of the first and second haptic sensations to the user.

31. The game controller system of claim 30, further comprising a graphic display for displaying a visual image to the user.

32. The game controller system of claim 31, wherein the controller is configured to vary at least one of the first and second signals to vary the corresponding first or second haptic sensation in conjunction with the displayed visual image.