Multiple-cylinder control device for computers and other electronic apparatus

• US 6,300,938 B1
• Filed: 04/12/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Culver, Craig F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US09/291,582
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/156, 345/145, 345/164, 345/167, 345/184
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

A control device including a support and multiple cylinders. A first cylinder may be rotated and translated, and a first sensor senses the rotation of the first cylinder and outputs a first control signal representative of the rotation. A second cylinder is positioned parallel to the first cylinder and also may be rotated and translated. A second sensor senses the translation of the first cylinder and outputs a second control signal representative of that translation. Optionally, a third sensor can sense the independent rotation of the second cylinder and can output a second control signal representative of the rotation, and/or a fourth sensor may be used to sense translation similarly for the second cylinder. The first and said second cylinders provide a greater number of contact points for the user than a single cylinder and thus greater stability and accuracy when controlling a cursor or other entity. Additional embodiments include force feedback by coupling one or more actuators to one or both cylinders and outputting forces in one or more degrees of freedom of the cylinders.

Claims

1. A control device comprising:

a support;

a first cylinder coupled to said support and operative to rotate with respect to said support in a first rotary degree of freedom and to translate with respect to said support in a linear degree of freedom;

a second cylinder coupled to at least one of said support and said first cylinder and positioned parallel to said first cylinder, said second cylinder rotatable with respect to said support in a second rotary degree of freedom and to translate with respect to said support in said linear degree of freedom; and

a first sensor coupled to at least one of said support, said first cylinder, and said second cylinder and operative to sense said rotation of at least one of said first cylinder and said second cylinder, said first sensor outputting a first control signal representative of said rotation;

a second sensor coupled to at least one of said support, said first cylinder, and said second cylinder and operative to sense said translation of at least one of said first cylinder and said second cylinder, said second sensor outputting a second control signal, wherein said first cylinder and said second cylinder can be rotated and translated by a finger or hand of a user.

2. A control device as recited in claim 1 wherein rotation of said first cylinder is independent of rotation of said second cylinder.

3. A control device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first cylinder and said second cylinder must be rotated in conjunction with each other.

4. A control device as recited in claim 1 wherein said translation of said first cylinder is independent of said translation of said second cylinder.

5. A control device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first cylinder and said second cylinder must be translated in conjunction with each other.

6. A control device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first sensor senses rotation of said first cylinder, and further comprising a third sensor coupled to at least one of said support and said cylinder and operative to sense said rotation of said second cylinder independently of said rotation of said first cylinder, said third sensor outputting a third control signal.

7. A control device as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensors are optical sensors which sense a pattern provided on at least one of said cylinders.

8. A control device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second sensors are integrated in a compound sensor.

9. A control device as recited in claim 6 wherein said second sensor senses translation of said first cylinder, and further comprising a fourth sensor coupled to said support and operative to sense said translation of said second cylinder independently of said translation of said first cylinder, said fourth sensor outputting a fourth control signal.

10. A control device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a first actuator coupled to said first cylinder and a second actuator coupled to said second cylinder, each of said actuators operative to output a force on said cylinder to which said actuator is coupled.

11. A control device as recited in claim 10 wherein said first and second actuators are active actuators.

12. A control device as recited in claim 10 wherein said first and second actuators are passive brakes.

13. A control device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a switch coupled to said support and providing a switch signal when either of said cylinders is pressed downward.

14. A control device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a moveable bar oriented parallel to said cylinders and providing an additional contact point for said user'"'"'s finger when moving said cylinders.

15. A control device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a microprocessor coupled to said first, second, and third sensors that receives said first, second, and third control signals and processes said signals.

16. A force feedback control device in communication with a host computer implementing a graphical environment, the force feedback control device comprising:

a support;

a first cylinder coupled to said support and operative to rotate with respect to said support in a first rotary degree of freedom and to translate with respect to said support in a linear degree of freedom;

a first sensor coupled to at least one of said support and said first cylinder and operative to sense said rotation of said first cylinder, said first sensor outputting a first control signal representative of said rotation, wherein said host computer receives said representation of said rotation;

a second sensor coupled to at least one of said support and said first cylinder and operative to sense said translation of said first cylinder, said second sensor outputting a second control signal representative of said translation, wherein said host computer receives said representation of said translation;

a second cylinder coupled to said support and positioned parallel to said first cylinder, said second cylinder rotatable with respect to said support in a second rotary degree of freedom and to translate with respect to said support in said linear degree of freedom, wherein said first cylinder and said second cylinder can be simultaneously rotated by a finger or hand of a user and together provide two contact points for said user'"'"'s finger or hand; and

an actuator coupled to one of said first and second cylinders, said actuator outputting a force on said cylinder to which it is coupled in response to a force feedback signal provided by said host computer.

17. A force feedback control device as recited in claim 16 wherein said actuator is a first actuator coupled to said first cylinder, and further comprising a second actuator coupled to said second cylinder, said second actuator outputting a force on said second cylinder in response to a second force feedback signal provided by said host computer.

18. A force feedback control device as recited in claim 16 further comprising a third sensor coupled to at least one of said support and said second cylinder, and operative to sense said rotation of said second cylinder, said second sensor outputting a second control signal.

19. A force feedback control device as recited in claim 17 further comprising a third actuator coupled to said first cylinder and a fourth actuator coupled to said second cylinder, wherein said first actuator outputs a first force in said rotational degree of freedom of said first cylinder, said second actuator outputs a second force in said rotational degree of freedom of said second cylinder, said third actuator outputs a third force in said translational degree of freedom of said first cylinder, and said fourth actuator outputs a fourth force in said translational degree of freedom of said second cylinder.

20. A force feedback control device as recited in claim 16 wherein said force on said first cylinder from said actuator is provided in both said rotational and said translational degrees of freedom of said first cylinder.

21. A force feedback control device as recited in claim 16 wherein said actuator is an active actuator.

22. A force feedback control device as recited in claim 16 wherein said actuator is a passive brake.

23. A force feedback control device as recited in claim 22 wherein said passive brake is an electromagnetic brake.

24. A force feedback control device as recited in claim 16 further comprising a microprocessor coupled to said first and second sensors that receives said first, second, and third control signals and processes said signals.

25. A method for interfacing with a computer using signals provided by a control device, the method comprising:

providing a first sensor signal from a first sensor to said computer, said first sensor signal being representative of a rotational position of a first cylinder of said control device in a first rotary degree of freedom, wherein said first cylinder is moved in said first rotary degree of freedom by a finger of a user;

providing a second sensor signal from a second sensor to said computer, said second sensor signal being representative of a translational position of said first cylinder of said control device in a translational degree of freedom, wherein said cylinder is moved in said translational degree of freedom by said finger of said user; and

providing a third sensor signal from a third sensor to said computer, said third sensor signal being representative of a rotational position of a second cylinder in a second rotary degree of freedom, said second cylinder positioned parallel to said first cylinder of said control device, wherein said second cylinder is moved in said second rotary degree of freedom by said finger of said user.

26. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein said computer compares said first sensor signal and said third sensor signal and uses only one of said first and third sensor signals as input to an application program.

27. A method as recited in claim 26 wherein either said first sensor signal or third sensor signal is used based on velocities of said first cylinder and said second cylinder, respectively, wherein said sensor signal associated with a faster moving cylinder is used.

28. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein said first sensor signal and said third sensor signal represent values that are added together by said computer and provided to control a motion of a user-controlled cursor.

29. A method as recited in claim 25 further comprising providing a fourth sensor signal from a fourth sensor to said computer, said fourth sensor signal being representative of a translational position of said second cylinder in a second translational degree of freedom, wherein said second cylinder is moved in said second translational degree of freedom by said finger of said user independently of said movement of said first cylinder in said first translational degree of freedom.

30. A method as recited in claim 25 further comprising receiving a force feedback signal from said computer and providing said force feedback signal to an actuator that is coupled to said first cylinder, said force feedback signal being based at least in part on said first sensor signal and said second sensor signal.

31. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein said actuator is a first actuator and said force feedback signal is a first force feedback signal, and further comprising receiving a second force feedback signal from said computer and providing said second force feedback signal to a second actuator that is coupled to said second cylinder, said second force feedback signal being based at least in part on said third sensor signal and said second sensor signal.

32. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein said computer includes a display screen and a user-controlled cursor is displayed on said display screen having a position determined by said first sensor signal and said second sensor signal.

33. A method as recited in claim 31 wherein said computer displays a graphical environment including at least one graphical object and a user controlled cursor, wherein said cursor is displayed in said graphical environment at a position determined at least in part by said first sensor signal and said second sensor signal, and wherein said first and second force feedback signals are determined at least in part based on an interaction of said cursor with said graphical object.