Command of force sensations in a forceback system using force effect suites

• US 6,424,356 B2
• Filed: 05/05/1999
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Dean C., Mallett, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US09/306,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20010045935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/161, 345/179, 345/333, 345/521, 345/700-702
• US Class Current: 715/701
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for commanding force effects using suites or categories to allow an application program higher level control over force sensations output by a force feedback interface device. An application program associates a force suite with one or more individual force effects and the suite association is provided to a library available to the application program on the host computer, such as an Application Programming Interface (API). A set of rules is also provided to the library, the rules determining how to apply the force effects in the suite based on a status of the application program. The application program commands at least one force effect in the suite and reports the status of the application program to the library, where the library applies the rules based on the reported status to cause a force sensation based on the commanded force effect to be output by a force feedback interface device coupled to the host computer.

Claims

1. A method for commanding force effects using force suites, said force effects commanded by an application program running on a host computer, said host computer in communication with a force feedback interface device that outputs force sensations to a user, the method comprising:

providing data to a library available to said application program on said host computer, said data indicating a force suite to be used with said application program, wherein said force suite refers to a plurality of force effects that are associated with said force suite; and

reporting a status of said application program to said library, said status describing one or more events or objects in said application program, wherein said library uses rules that define how to apply said force effects referred to by said force suite based on said status of said application program, wherein said library causes the command of at least one force effect in said suite by applying said rules based on said reported status to cause a force sensation based on said commanded force effect to be output by said force feedback interface device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said library is an Application Programming Interface (API).

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising calling said suite to be loaded to memory on said force feedback interface device based on said status of said application program, wherein said library determines whether any of said force effects in said loaded suite are to be output to said user.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said status of said application program includes a location of a user-controlled entity in said application program.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein a priority is provided to said library to be associated with at least one of said force effects.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein at least two force effects in a suite have different priorities.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said rules indicate when said suite is to be active and when said suite is to be inactive, such that when said suite is active said force effects in said suite can be loaded to said force feedback interface device and are available to be output by said force feedback interface device.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein said suite can be designated to be partially active.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising sending a command to said library to designate that said suite is to be active, such that when said suite is active said force effects in said suite are loaded to said force feedback interface device and are available to be output by said force feedback interface device.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said force sensation caused to be output by said library is a blend of two of said force effects included in said suite.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising providing data associating a second force suite with a plurality of force effects.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein a priority is provided to said library to be associated with at least one of said force suites.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein at least two force suites have different priorities.

14. A computer readable medium including program instructions for implementing force effects using force suites, said force effects commanded by an application program running on a host computer, said host computer in communication with a force feedback interface device that outputs force sensations to a user, said program instructions performing steps comprising:

receiving data from said application program running on said host computer, said data indicting a force suite that is associated with at leas one force effect and is to be used with said application program;

receiving a status of said application program from said application program, said status describing one or more events or objects in said application program; and

commanding a force effect of said force suite that causes a force sensation to be output by said force feedback interface device, said force effect being based on application of rules and based on said received status, said rules defining how to command said force effects associated with said force suite based on said received status of said application program.

15. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 14 further comprising receiving said rules from said application program.

16. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 15 said status includes a designation relating to said suite and indicating said at least one force effect associated with said suite is to be loaded to memory on said force feedback device.

17. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 15 further comprising determining based on said status whether said suite is active such that said at least one force effect associated with said suite is available on said force feedback device to be output.

18. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 14 further comprising receiving a command from said application program to designate said suite as active such that said at least one force effect associated with said suite is available on said force feedback device to be output.

19. An apparatus for implementing force effects using force suites, said apparatus comprising:

=means for implementing the association of a force suite with a plurality of force effects, wherein said force effects are capable of being separately output, said means for implementing comprising a set of rules that determine how to output said force effects in said suite based on a status of an application program running on a host computer, said status describing one or more events or objects in said application program, said force effects to be output as force sensations by a force feedback device in communication with said host computer; and

means for receiving said stats of said application program, said means for receiving able to cause all output of at least one force effect in said suite based on said status of said application program and said rules, to cause a force sensation to be output to a user by said force feedback interface device in communication with said host computer.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein said means for implementing includes an application program provided computer readable medium and running on said host computer, and wherein said means for received is a library provided in a computer readable medium available to said application program.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said library is an Application Programming Interface (API).

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said application program is a game program.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein said host computer is a video game console system.

24. A method for commanding, a force effect on a force feedback interface device that is capable of providing force sensations to a user, the method comprising:

receiving data associating a force suite with a plurality of force effects, said data received at a library available to an application program on a computer, wherein said force effects are capable of being separately output;

receiving data related to a status of the application program said status describing one or more events or objects in said application program; and

activating, partially activating, or inactivating the force suite based on the data related to the status of the application program such that when said suite is at least partially active said force effects associated with said suite can be loaded to said force feedback interface device and are available to be output by said force feedback interface device.

25. A method as recited in claim 24 further comprising providing data associating a second force suite with a plurality of force effects.

26. A method as recited in claim 25 further comprising activating, partially activating, or inactivating the second force suite based on the data related to the status of the application program.