Control input device for interfacing an elongated flexible object with a computer system
DCFirst Claim
1. A control input device for interfacing the motion of an elongated flexible object capable of translation and rotation with a computer system, comprising:
- a) an object receiving portion engaging said elongated flexible object such that motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion is constrained to translational motion with respect to said object receiving portion and rotational motion with respect to said object receiving portion;
b) a translation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion, said translation transducer adapted to determine translational motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion;
c) a rotation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion, said rotation transducer adapted to determine rotational motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion;
d) an actuator coupled to said object receiving portion, said actuator operable to apply a resistive force opposing motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion, said actuator responsive to control signals from said computer system; and
e) a simulation executed on said computer system including a simulated object subject to virtual forces within a simulated environment, a location of said simulated object within said simulated environment being modified in accordance with signals derived from said translation transducer and said rotation transducer, said simulation operable to control said actuator such that forces applied to said elongated object correspond to said virtual forces that said simulated object is subjected to in said simulated environment,whereby said translation transducer, said rotation transducer, said actuator and said object receiving portion provide an electromechanical interface between said elongated flexible object and said computer system such that a user manipulating said elongated object will experience an interaction corresponding to an interaction of said simulated object with said simulated environment.
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Abstract
An apparatus for interfacing an elongated flexible object with an electrical system. The apparatus includes an object receiving portion and a rotation transducer coupled to the object receiving portion adapted to determine the rotational motion of the elongated flexible object when the object is engaged with the object receiving portion and to provide an electromechanical interface between the object and the electrical system. In a preferred embodiment, the rotation transducer includes an actuator and translational transducer to provide a translational electromechanical interface between the object and the electrical system.
420 Citations
66 Claims
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1. A control input device for interfacing the motion of an elongated flexible object capable of translation and rotation with a computer system, comprising:
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a) an object receiving portion engaging said elongated flexible object such that motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion is constrained to translational motion with respect to said object receiving portion and rotational motion with respect to said object receiving portion; b) a translation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion, said translation transducer adapted to determine translational motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion; c) a rotation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion, said rotation transducer adapted to determine rotational motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion; d) an actuator coupled to said object receiving portion, said actuator operable to apply a resistive force opposing motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion, said actuator responsive to control signals from said computer system; and e) a simulation executed on said computer system including a simulated object subject to virtual forces within a simulated environment, a location of said simulated object within said simulated environment being modified in accordance with signals derived from said translation transducer and said rotation transducer, said simulation operable to control said actuator such that forces applied to said elongated object correspond to said virtual forces that said simulated object is subjected to in said simulated environment, whereby said translation transducer, said rotation transducer, said actuator and said object receiving portion provide an electromechanical interface between said elongated flexible object and said computer system such that a user manipulating said elongated object will experience an interaction corresponding to an interaction of said simulated object with said simulated environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A control input device for interfacing the motion of a human manipulated elongated flexible object, said control input device operable for providing force feedback sensations to a user manipulating said elongated flexible object, comprising:
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a) a support; b) an object receiving portion engaging said elongated flexible object such that rotational and translational motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion is possible; c) a gimbal mechanism coupling said support to said object receiving portion, said gimbal mechanism providing two rotary degrees of freedom of motion of said object receiving portion with respect to said support; d) an actuator coupled to said object receiving portion, said actuator adapted to engage said elongated flexible object, said actuator operable to apply a resistive force opposing motion of said elongated flexible object, said actuator responsive to control signals from said computer system; e) a translation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion, said translation transducer adapted to determine translational motion of said elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion, said translation transducer electrically coupled with said computer system; and f) a rotation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion to determine rotational motion of said elongated flexible object, said rotation transducer including an encoded disk having an aperture adapted to receive said elongated flexible object, said rotation transducer electrically coupled with said computer system; whereby said support, said gimbal mechanism, said object receiving portion, said actuator and said translation and rotation transducers provide an electromechanical interface between said human manipulated elongated flexible object and said computer system, said electromechanical interface enabling software executing on said computer system to monitor motion of said elongated flexible object engaged with said object receiving portion in four degrees of freedom with respect to said support and further enabling said software to command force feedback sensations to said user through said elongated flexible object. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A human/computer interface control input device, comprising:
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a) a shaft receiving portion; b) a support attached to said shaft receiving portion such that motion of said shaft receiving portion with respect to said support is constrained to at most two degrees of freedom; c) an elongated, flexible shaft engaged with said shaft receiving portion such that motion of said flexible shaft with respect to said support is constrained to at most four degrees of freedom, said flexible shaft having a grip area to be grasped by the hand of an operator; d) a first sensor coupled to said shaft receiving portion and engaging said shaft at a first intermediate portion of said shaft to detect translational movement of said shaft relative to said shaft receiving portion without causing substantial translational motion of said shaft receiving portion, said first sensor having a first output; e) a second sensor coupled to said shaft receiving portion and engaging said shaft at a second intermediate portion of said shaft to detect rotational movement of said shaft relative to said shaft receiving portion, said second sensor including an encoded disk having an aperture dimensioned to receive said elongated flexible shaft, and f) a force feedback device coupled to said shaft receiving portion and said elongated flexible shaft, said force feedback device operable to resist motion of said elongated flexible shaft, whereby said shaft receiving portion, said first sensor, said second sensor, and said force feedback device provide an electromechanical interface suitable for controlling said elongated flexible shaft in a manner suitable for an intended operation of said elongated flexible shaft. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A control input device for interfacing the motion of a plurality of elongated flexible objects capable of translation and rotation with a computer system, comprising:
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a) an object receiving portion engaging a particular elongated flexible object such that motion of said particular elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion is constrained to translational motion with respect to said object receiving portion and rotational motion with respect to said object receiving portion; b) a translation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion, said translation transducer adapted to determine translational motion of said particular elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion; c) a plurality of transducers arranged to interface with said plurality of flexible elongated objects at least one of which is hollow thereby enabling a second flexible elongated object to pass therethrough, said plurality of transducers being staggered at incremental distances from one another such that said plurality of transducers may engage interior flexible elongated objects when said interior flexible elongated objects emerge from within other flexible elongated objects; and d) an actuator coupled to said particular object receiving portion, said actuator operable to apply a resistive force opposing motion of said particular elongated flexible object with respect to said object receiving portion, said actuator responsive to control signals from said computer system; e) a simulation executed on said computer system including a simulated object subject to virtual forces within a simulated environment, a location of said simulated object within said simulated environment being modified in accordance with signals derived from said translation transducer and said plurality of transducers, said simulation operable to control said actuator such that forces applied to said elongated object correspond to said virtual forces that said simulated object is subjected to in said simulated environment whereby said object receiving portion, said translation transducer, and said plurality of transducers arranged to interface with a plurality of elongated objects provide an electromechanical interface controlling said elongated flexible object such that said motion of said elongated object is suitable for interfacing with said computer system. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A control input device for interfacing the motion of an elongated flexible object capable of translation and rotation with a computer system, comprising:
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a) an object receiving portion; and b) a rotation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion, said translation transducer adapted to determine rotational motion of said elongated flexible object without causing substantial rotational motion of said object receiving portion; whereby said rotation transducer provides an electromechanical interface between said elongated flexible object and said computer system. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A control input device for interfacing the motion of a human manipulated elongated flexible object having at least first and second degrees of freedom with an electrical system, comprising:
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a) a support; b) a gimbal mechanism having a base wherein a first portion of said base is rotatably coupled to said support and a second portion of said base is rotatably coupled to an object receiving portion such that said base can be rotated in a first direction relative to said support and said object receiving portion can be rotated in a second direction relative to said base; c) an actuator coupled to said object receiving portion, said actuator adapted to engage said elongated flexible object; d) a translation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion, said translation transducer adapted to determine translational motion of said elongated flexible object without causing substantial translational motion of said object receiving portion; e) a rotation transducer coupled to said object receiving portion to determine rotational motion of said elongated flexible object, said rotation transducer including; i) a disk, said disk including an aperture adapted to receive said elongated flexible object, and ii) a hollow shaft coupled with said disk, said hollow shaft being dimensioned to engagedly receive said elongated flexible object, and said hollow shaft defining a path including at least one bend therein; whereby said actuator and said translation and rotation transducers provide an electromechanical interface between a human manipulated elongated wire-like object and said electrical system. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A human/computer interface apparatus, comprising:
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a) a shaft receiving portion; b) an elongated, flexible shaft engaged with said shaft receiving portion, said flexible shaft having a grip area to be grasped by the hand of an operator; c) a first sensor coupled to said shaft receiving portion at a first intermediate portion of said shaft to detect translational movement of said shaft relative to said shaft receiving portion without causing substantial translational motion of said shaft receiving portion, said first sensor having a first output; and d) a second sensor coupled to said shaft receiving portion at a second intermediate portion of said shaft receiving portion to detect rotational movement of said shaft relative to said shaft receiving portion, said second sensor including; i) a disk, said disk including an aperture dimensioned to receive said elongated flexible shaft, and ii) a hollow shaft coupled with said disk, said hollow shaft being dimensioned to engagedly receive said elongated flexible shaft, said hollow shaft defining a path including at least one bend therein. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66)
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Specification