Pointing device with forced feedback button
First Claim
1. A force feedback mouse coupled to a host computer implementing a host application program, said mouse physically contacted by a user and movable in a planar workspace, the mouse comprising:
- a sensor device coupled to a housing of said mouse, said sensor device detecting said movement of said mouse in said planar workspace and to output sensor signals representative of said movement;
a button coupled to said housing of said mouse and having a degree of freedom and a sensor for detecting a position of said button, such that when said button is pressed by said user to a predetermined position, a command signal is sent to said host computer;
a microprocessor-controlled actuator coupled to said button of said mouse, said actuator operative to apply an output spring force in said degree of freedom of said button; and
a microprocessor local to said force feedback mouse and separate from said host computer and coupled to said sensor device and to said actuator, said microprocessor receiving a command from said host computer that causes said microprocessor to control said actuator to create said spring force in said degree of freedom of said button, said spring force having a magnitude specified by said command.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low-cost force feedback interface device for providing low cost force feedback for enhancing interactions and manipulations in a graphical environment provided by a computer. One embodiment provides a mouse movable in a planar workspace and providing output sensor signals representative of that movement. Mouse button movement is detected to send command signals to the host computer, and an actuator coupled to the button applies an output force in the degree of freedom of the button. In a different embodiment, a force feedback pointing device includes a cylindrical member that may be rotated about an axis and translated along that axis to provide sensor signals to control a position of a graphical object such as a cursor. A command sensor detects motion of the cylindrical member perpendicular to the translation, such as when the cylindrical member is pressed down by the user. An actuator applies an output force in the perpendicular degree of freedom of the cylindrical member. The output force is correlated with interaction of the controlled cursor with other graphical objects in the graphical environment. The force sensation can be a jolt, vibration, constant force, texture force, or other type of force.
354 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A force feedback mouse coupled to a host computer implementing a host application program, said mouse physically contacted by a user and movable in a planar workspace, the mouse comprising:
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a sensor device coupled to a housing of said mouse, said sensor device detecting said movement of said mouse in said planar workspace and to output sensor signals representative of said movement;
a button coupled to said housing of said mouse and having a degree of freedom and a sensor for detecting a position of said button, such that when said button is pressed by said user to a predetermined position, a command signal is sent to said host computer;
a microprocessor-controlled actuator coupled to said button of said mouse, said actuator operative to apply an output spring force in said degree of freedom of said button; and
a microprocessor local to said force feedback mouse and separate from said host computer and coupled to said sensor device and to said actuator, said microprocessor receiving a command from said host computer that causes said microprocessor to control said actuator to create said spring force in said degree of freedom of said button, said spring force having a magnitude specified by said command. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A force feedback pointing device coupled to a host computer implementing a host application program, said pointing device physically contacted by a user and movable to provide input to said host computer, the pointing device comprising:
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a cylindrical member operative to rotate about an axis and to translate along said axis;
a sensor device coupled to said cylindrical member operative to detect said rotation and said translation of said cylindrical member and to output sensor signals representative of said rotation and said translation, wherein said sensor signals are used by said host computer to control a position of a graphical object in a displayed graphical environment;
a command sensor for detecting a motion of said cylindrical member in a degree of freedom approximately perpendicular to said translation, such that when said cylindrical member is pressed by said user to a predetermined position in said perpendicular degree of freedom, a command signal is sent to said host computer; and
an actuator coupled to said cylindrical member and operative to apply a linear output force in said perpendicular degree of freedom of said cylindrical member, wherein said actuator receives a signal derived from a command sent from said host computer that causes said actuator to create a spring force in said degree of freedom of said cylindrical member, said spring force having a stiffness specified by said command. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for providing force feedback in a mouse input device coupled to a host computer, the method comprising:
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outputting sensor signals to said host computer, said sensor signals representing a position of said mouse device in a planar workspace;
outputting a button signal to said host computer in response to a button on said mouse being moved by a user in a degree of freedom of said button; and
outputting a jolt on said button in said degree of freedom of said button based on a host command sent to said mouse device from said host computer, said jolt correlated with the interaction of a user-controlled cursor with a graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface, said jolt including an impulse of force that rises to a maximum magnitude and then is reduced in magnitude or turned off, said impulse of force moving said button in said degree of freedom of said button. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A force feedback mouse coupled to a host computer implementing a host application program, said mouse physically contacted by a user and movable in a planar workspace, the mouse comprising:
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a sensor device coupled to a housing of said mouse, said sensor device detecting said movement of said mouse in said planar workspace and to output sensor signals representative of said movement;
a button coupled to said housing of said mouse and having a degree of freedom and a button sensor for detecting a position of said button, such that when said button is pressed by said user to a predetermined position, a command signal is sent to said host computer;
an actuator coupled to said button of said mouse, said actuator operative to apply an output jolt in said degree of freedom of said button; and
a microprocessor local to said force feedback mouse and separate from said host computer and coupled to said sensor device and to said actuator, said microprocessor receiving a command from said host computer that causes said microprocessor to control said actuator to create said jolt in said degree of freedom of said button, said jolt including an impulse of force that rises to a maximum magnitude and then is reduced in magnitude or turned off, said impulse of force moving said button in said degree of freedom of said button. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A force feedback mouse in communication with a host computer providing a graphical environment, said mouse physically contacted by a user and movable in a planar workspace, the mouse comprising:
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a sensor device coupled to a housing of said mouse, said sensor device detecting said movement of said mouse in said planar workspace and to output sensor signals representative of said movement, wherein said host computer receives said sensor signals and displays a cursor in said graphical environment based on said sensor signals;
a button coupled to said housing of said mouse and having a degree of freedom and a sensor for detecting a position of said button, such that when said button is pressed by said user to a predetermined position, a command signal is sent to said host computer;
an actuator coupled to said button of said mouse, said actuator operative to apply an output bump force in said degree of freedom of said button; and
a microprocessor local to said force feedback mouse and separate from said host computer and coupled to said sensor device and to said actuator, said microprocessor receiving a command from said host computer that causes said microprocessor to control said actuator to create said bump force in said degree of freedom of said button, wherein a plurality of said bump forces are output as a texture sensation when said cursor is moved over a texture area in said graphical environment.
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Specification