Handle sensor with fade-in
First Claim
1. An electrical circuit for controlling a device that generates a force, comprising:
- (a) a switch having an open state and a closed state, said switch being actuated and changing state when the user is positioned to operate the device;
(b) sensing means for sensing a state of the switch; and
(c) a processor that is coupled to said sensing means, said processor responding to the state of the switch to control the device, immediately disabling generation of the force if the state of the switch changes to indicate that the user has just moved and is no longer positioned to operate the device, and enabling a slow increase in the force generated if the state of the switch changes to indicate that the user has just become positioned to operate the device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and a method for controlling a feedback force applied by a joystick to a user gripping the control handle of the joystick. In the preferred embodiment, a light path between an infrared light source and a light sensor is interrupted by a user gripping the handle of a joystick. The output signal from the light sensor is employed by a processor to control the feedback force. When based upon the output signal, the processor determines that the user has just gripped the control handle, the processor enables the feedback force to increase slowly, over a sufficiently long time to enable the user to firmly grip the control handle before the feedback force becomes very strong. The processor immediately disables generation of the feedback force as soon as the user releases the control handle. The processor periodically energizes and then de-energizes the light source, determines an average value of the output signal when the light source is both energized and de-energized, and based upon a comparison of these average values, determines if the user'"'"'s hand gripping the control handle has interrupted the light path between the source and light sensor. Additionally, the processor checks for a failure of the light source, and if detected, halts the generation of the feedback force.
39 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An electrical circuit for controlling a device that generates a force, comprising:
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(a) a switch having an open state and a closed state, said switch being actuated and changing state when the user is positioned to operate the device;
(b) sensing means for sensing a state of the switch; and
(c) a processor that is coupled to said sensing means, said processor responding to the state of the switch to control the device, immediately disabling generation of the force if the state of the switch changes to indicate that the user has just moved and is no longer positioned to operate the device, and enabling a slow increase in the force generated if the state of the switch changes to indicate that the user has just become positioned to operate the device.
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2. An electrical circuit for controlling a force applied by a device to a user through a member of the device that is gripped by the user, comprising:
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(a) a switch having a first state and a second state, said switch being actuated by the user gripping the member so that the switch changes to the first state when the user grips the member and changes to the second state when the user releases the member; and
(b) a processor that is coupled to said switch, the processor responding to the state of the switch to control the application of the force to the member by immediately disabling application of the force when the switch changes to the second state, indicating that the user has released the member, and enabling a slow increase in the force applied immediately after the switch changes to the second state, indicating that the user has just gripped the member.
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3. A sensor circuit for determining whether a user is gripping a member of a haptic feedback device to control a force applied to the member, comprising:
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(a) a source of a light signal;
(b) a sensor for detecting the light signal, the user gripping the member affecting a path of the light signal from the source to the sensor, said sensor producing an output signal indicative of the light signal detected by the sensor, said output signal changing due to the affect of the user gripping the member; and
(c) a processor coupled to the source of the light signal and to the sensor, said processor;
(i) enabling the source to produce the light signal for a first time interval;
(ii) monitoring the output signal of the sensor during the first time interval;
(iii) disabling the source during a second time interval so that the source does not produce the light signal;
(iv) monitoring the output signal of the sensor during the second time interval;
(v) as a function of the output signal during the first time interval and the output signal during the second time interval, determining whether the user is gripping the member; and
(vi) enabling the force to be applied to the member when the user is gripping the member, but not when the user is not gripping the member. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An electrical circuit for controlling application of a feedback force to a user by a member of a device, comprising:
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(a) a source that emits light when energized;
(b) a light sensor that provides an output signal indicative of whether light from the source is incident on the sensor, the source and the sensor being disposed proximate the member and spaced apart from each other so that a light path between the source and the sensor is obstructed when the user grips the member, preventing light emitted by the source from reaching the sensor; and
(c) a processor that is coupled to said sensor to receive the output signal and thereby to determine when the user is gripping the member in order to disable generation of the feedback force when the user is not gripping the member, said processor being coupled to the source to determine whether the source has failed, and if so, also disabling the feedback force. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for controlling a force applied by a device to a user gripping a member of the device, comprising the steps of:
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(a) sensing a first change in a state of a switch when the user grips the member;
(b) sensing a second change in the state of the switch when the user releases the member;
(c) enabling the force applied to the user to slowly increase in response to the first change in the state of the switch, to provide time for the user to firmly grip the member before the force is applied; and
(d) immediately disabling the force in response to the second change in the state of the switch, so that the force is no longer applied once the user has released the member.
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21. A method for controlling a feedback force applied to a user through a member of a control device that is gripped by the user, comprising the steps of:
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(a) detecting an electrical circuit changing to a first state when the user grips the control member and the electrical circuit changing to a second state when the user releases the control member;
(b) enabling a slow increase in the feedback force that is applied immediately after the electrical circuit changes to the first state, indicating that the user has just gripped the member, to enable the user time to more firmly grip the member before a full magnitude of the feedback force is applied; and
(c) immediately disabling application of the feedback force when the electrical circuit changes to the second state, indicating that the user has just released the control member, to prevent the control member from causing injury to the user. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
(a) periodically enabling and disabling the source;
(b) determining a first average value of the output signal when the source is enabled and a second average value of the output signal when the source is disabled ;
(c) determining a difference between said average values; and
(d) as a function of the difference, determining whether the user is gripping the member.
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24. The method of claim 21, wherein the electrical circuit includes a source of infrared light and a light sensor responsive to the infrared light, said user gripping the control member affecting a path of the light between the source and the sensor.
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25. The method of claim 21, wherein the control member of the device comprises one of a joystick handle, a yoke, a steering wheel, and a digit cradle.
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26. A method for controlling application of a feedback force to a user by a member of a device, comprising:
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(a) providing a source that emits light when energized;
(b) providing a light sensor that produces an output signal indicative of whether light from the source is incident on the sensor;
(c) mounting the source and the sensor proximate the member and spaced apart from each other so that a light path between the source and the sensor is obstructed when the user grips the member, preventing light emitted by the source from reaching, the sensor;
(d) determining whether the user is gripping the member in order to disable generation of the feedback force when the user is not gripping the member; and
(e) determining whether the source has failed, and if so, also disabling generation of the feedback force. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification