Method and apparatus for shaping force signals for a force feedback device

• US 6,278,439 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B., Braun, Adam C.
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US09/322,245
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/162, 345/163, 345/167, 345/168, 744/71.XY, 463/30, 273/148.B
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• 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: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04777 with additional push or pull action on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A method and apparatus for shaping force signals for a force feedback device. A source wave is provided and is defined by a set of control parameters (including a steady state magnitude, a frequency value and a duration value) and modified by a set of impulse parameters (including an impulse magnitude, and a settle time representing a time required for the impulse magnitude to change to the steady-state magnitude). Optionally, application parameters specifying a direction of force signal and trigger parameters specifying activating buttons can also be provided for the source wave. Using a host processor or a local processor, the force signal is formed from the source wave and the sets of control parameters and impulse parameters, where the force signal includes an impulse signal followed by a continual steady-state signal after an expiration of the settle time. A feel sensation is generated to a user of the force feedback device as physical forces produced by actuators on the force feedback device in response to the force signal. The steady-state magnitude value is lower than a magnitude value of a non-impulse-shaped force signal required to create a corresponding feel sensation having a similar apparent sensation to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing information to a force feedback device to generate a force signal for creating a feel sensation upon a user of said force feedback device, the method comprising:

providing a set of control parameters defining characteristics for said feel sensation, said control parameters including at least one of a steady-state magnitude value, a frequency value, and a duration value, said steady-state magnitude value representing a steady-state magnitude of said feel sensation, said frequency value representing a frequency of said feel sensation, and said duration value representing a duration of said feel sensation; and

providing a set of impulse parameters, including;

an impulse value, said impulse value specifying an impulse force level of said feel sensation applied to said user, said impulse force level being different than said steady-state magnitude; and

a settle time, said settle time representing a time required for a magnitude of said force signal to change from said impulse force level to said steady-state magnitude,

wherein said set of control parameters and said set of impulse parameters are provided to a force feedback device, said force feedback device forming, using a processor, said force signal from said control parameters and said impulse parameters, said force signal being used to cause said feel sensation to be output.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a source wave, wherein said source wave consists of one of the group comprising a constant value, a sine wave, a square wave, a triangular wave, and a force profile.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said impulse value is higher than said steady-state magnitude value, and wherein said settle time represents a time required for a magnitude of said force signal to decay from said impulse value to said steady-state magnitude value.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said settle time is less than one order of magnitude shorter than a duration of said steady-state magnitude.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a set of application parameters, said application parameters specifying a vector of application for said force signal.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a set of trigger parameters, said set of trigger parameters specifying how said feel sensation should be generated responsive to an activation of a switch of said force feedback device by said user of said force feedback device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said switch is a button on a user manipulatable portion of said force feedback device and signals are caused by activations of said buttons to trigger said feel sensation in accordance with said trigger parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said steady-state magnitude value is lower than a magnitude value of a non-impulse-shaped force signal required to create said feel sensation having a similar apparent sensation to said user.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said feel sensation is generated using said steady-state magnitude value, thereby consuming less power than if said non-impulse shaped force signal were used.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing at least one additional set of control parameters and impulse parameters to cause a second feel sensation to be output by said force feedback device, wherein a sequence of said feel sensations is output by said force feedback device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a delay parameter is provided to said force feedback device, said delay parameter used in a sequence of said plurality of feel sensations output from said force feedback device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said steady-state magnitude value and said impulse value are provided as percentages of a maximum value.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said control parameters include an offset parameter indicating the amount by which said force signal is to be offset from a zero-force level.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said feel sensation simulates a collision between a user-controlled object and a different object.

15. A method for generating a force signal for creating a plurality of force effects output as feel sensations on a user using a force feedback device, comprising:

receiving first and second sets of parameters defining associated first and second force effects, respectively, and each of said sets of parameters including

a steady-state magnitude value representing a steady-state magnitude of said associated first or second force effect,

a frequency value representing a frequency of said associated first or second force effect,

a duration value representing a duration of said associated first or second force effect, and

an impulse value specifying an impulse magnitude of said associated first or second force effect, said impulse magnitude being different than said steady-state magnitude;

receiving a delay value representing a delay between said first and second force effects output as a sequence; and

forming, using a processor, said force signal from said sets of parameters and outputting said force signal to an actuator to be output as a sequence of said first force effect and said second force effect separated by said delay.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein said sets of parameters each include a settle time representing a time required for a magnitude of said associated first or second force effect to change from said impulse magnitude to said steady-state magnitude.

17. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising receiving an indication of a type of source wave to which said parameters are applied.

18. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein a trigger parameter is received, said trigger parameter specifying how said feel sensations should be generated responsive to an activation of a switch of said force feedback device by a user of said force feedback device.

19. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein an application parameter is received, said application parameter specifying a vector of application for said force signal with respect to axes of motion of said force feedback device.

20. An apparatus for generating a force signal for creating a feel sensation upon a user using a force feedback device, comprising:

i) means for receiving a set of control parameters and a set of impulse parameters, said control parameters including

a steady-state magnitude value representing a steady-state magnitude of said force signal,

a frequency value representing a frequency of said force signal, and

a duration value for said source wave representing a duration of said feel sensation, and

said impulse parameters including

an impulse value, said impulse value specifying an impulse force level of said force signal, said impulse force level being different than said steady-state magnitude, and

a settle time, said settle time representing a time required for a magnitude of said force signal to change from said impulse force level to said steady-state magnitude; and

ii) means for forming said force signal from said set of control parameters and said set of impulse parameters and for outputting said force signal to actuators to provide said feel sensation.

21. A computer data force signal propagated in a transmission medium, the computer data force signal comprising:

an impulse segment having a magnitude that changes from an impulse level to a steady-state level over a settle time; and

a steady-state segment having a constant magnitude at said steady-state level for a particular duration,

wherein said force signal is used to output a feel sensation in a degree of freedom of a user manipulatable object of a force feedback device manipulated by a user, said feel sensation having a force magnitude proportional to said magnitude of said force signal.

22. A computer data force signal as recited in claim 21 wherein said impulse level is greater than said steady-state level.

23. A computer data force signal as recited in claim 22 further comprising a fade segment having a magnitude that decays from said steady-state level to a zero level.

24. A computer data force signal as recited in claim 22 wherein said feel sensation is a first feel sensation, said impulse segment is a first impulse segment, and said steady-state segment is a first steady-state segment, and further comprising a second impulse segment and a second steady-state segment following said first steady-state segment, said second impulse and steady-state segments causing a second feel sensation to be output in sequence with said first feel sensation.

25. A computer data force signal as recited in claim 24 further comprising a delay segment provided between said first steady-state segment and said second impulse segment.

26. A force feedback interface device manipulated by a user and communicating with a host computer system implementing a host application program, said host computer system updating said host application program in response to input signals, said force feedback interface device comprising:

a user manipulatable object movable by said user and physically contacted by said user;

a sensor detecting a position of said user manipulatable object and outputting said input signals, said input signals including information representative of said position of said user manipulatable object;

a local microprocessor separate from said host computer system and communicating with said host computer system via a communication bus, said local microprocessor outputting an impulse-shaped force signal; and

an actuator electrically coupled to said local microprocessor and receiving said impulse-shaped force signal, said actuator applying a tactile sensation to said user in accordance with said impulse-shaped force signal such that said tactile sensation has an impulse magnitude followed by a steady-state magnitude different from said impulse magnitude.

27. The force feedback interface device of claim 26 wherein said local microprocessor receives said impulse-shaped force signal from a host processor of said host computer system, wherein said local microprocessor relays said impulse-shaped force signal to said actuator.

28. The force feedback interface device of claim 26 wherein said local microprocessor receives a source wave from said host computer system and adjusts said source wave to provide said impulse-shaped force signal to said actuator.

29. The force feedback interface device of claim 28 wherein said local microprocessor adds control parameters to said source wave to provide said impulse-shaped force signal, said control parameters regulating a frequency, said impulse magnitude and said steady-state magnitude of said impulse-shaped force signal.

30. The force feedback interface device of claim 28 wherein said local microprocessor adds control parameters to said source wave to provide said impulse-shaped force signal, said control parameters regulating a duration of said impulse-shaped force signal.

31. The force feedback interface device of claim 28 wherein said local microprocessor adds impulse parameters to said source wave to provide said impulse-shaped force signal, said impulse parameters regulating said impulse magnitude and said steady-state magnitude of said impulse-shaped force signal.

32. The force feedback interface device of claim 29 wherein said local microprocessor further includes application parameters in said impulse-shaped force signal to indicate a direction of said tactile sensation applied to said user manipulatable object.

33. The force feedback interface device of claim 28 further comprising at least one button coupled to said user manipulatable object, wherein said local microprocessor further includes trigger parameters in said impulse-shaped force signal to indicate which buttons will trigger said tactile sensation generated by said impulse-shaped force signal.

34. The force feedback interface device of claim 26 wherein said host computer system displays images on a visual output device and manipulates said images in accordance with said sensor signals.

35. A force feedback interface device manipulatable by a user and communicating with a host computer system implementing a host application program, said host computer system updating said host application program in response to input signals, said force feedback interface device comprising:

a user manipulatable object movable by said user and being physically contacted by said user;

a sensor detecting a position of said user manipulatable object and outputting said input signals, said input signals including information representative of said position of said user manipulatable object; and

an actuator receiving an impulse-shaped force signal, said actuator applying a tactile sensation to said user in accordance with said impulse-shaped force signal such that a force having an impulse magnitude followed by a steady-state magnitude different from said impulse magnitude is applied.

36. The force feedback interface device of claim 35 further comprising a local microprocessor, distinct from said host computer system and electrically coupled to said actuator and operative to communicate with said host computer system, said local microprocessor receiving parameters from said host computer system, forming said impulse-shaped force signal, and outputting said impulse-shaped force signal to said actuator.

37. The force feedback interface device of claim 35 wherein said steady-state magnitude is lower than said impulse magnitude.