Force feedback device including flexure member between actuator and user object

• US 6,437,771 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation Delaware
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B., Jackson, Bernard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Application Number:
  US09/532,288
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 744/71.XY, 463/37, 463/38, 463/30, 434/45
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• 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: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/04 by measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/008 using coordinate measuring machines
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/0474 characterised by means converting mechanical movement into electric signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• 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: G05G 9/04737 with six degrees of freedom
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 : Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 : for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/28 : Simulation of stick forces or the like

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing force sensations in virtual environments includes a human/computer interface device and method used in conjunction with a host computer and which can provide feel sensations to a user of the device. A user manipulatable object physically contacted by a user, such as a joystick, stylus, pool cue, or other object, is movable in multiple degrees of freedom using a gimbal mechanism. A local microprocessor, separate from the host computer, enables communication with the host computer and receives commands from the host, decodes the commands, outputs actuator signals in accordance with commands, receives sensor signals, and reports data to the host in response to commands. Actuators generate feel sensations by providing a force on the user object in response to actuator signals from the local microprocessor, and sensors detect the motion of the user object and reports sensor signals to the local microprocessor. Memory is included locally to the local microprocessor for storing program instructions and routines enabling feel sensations and host-microprocessor communication. The feel sensation generated on the user is, in one embodiment, a damping sensation simulating a feel of motion through a fluid. In another embodiment, the feel sensation is a wall sensation simulating the feel of impacting a surface or obstruction.

Claims

1. An interface device used in conjunction with a host computer for monitoring user manipulations and for enabling the simulation of feel sensations in response to said user manipulations, said feel sensations generated in accordance with application software running on said host computer and in accordance with images output on a computer display device by said host computer, said interface device comprising:

a user object being physically contacted by a user and movable in at least two degrees of freedom by said user;

at least one sensor that detects motion of said user object along said degrees of freedom with respect to a ground surface, wherein said at least one sensor outputs output sensor signals representative of said motion of said user object;

an actuator coupled to said user object and generating at least one of a plurality of feel sensations by outputting a force that is transmitted to said user object;

a flexure member coupled and providing torsional flex between said user object and said actuator in at least one of said degrees of freedom, said flexure member flexing to allow said user object to move with respect to said actuator;

a local microprocessor separate from said host computer system for enabling communication with said host computer, for receiving commands from said host computer, for controlling said feel sensations in accordance with one or more of said commands, for reading said sensor signals, and for reporting sensor data based on said sensor signals to said host computer, said local microprocessor controlling feel sensations simultaneously with said software running on said host computer; and

a communication interface for transmitting signals from said host computer to said local microprocessor and from said local microprocessor to said host computer.

2. An interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuator is a passive brake providing a resistance to motion of said user object in one of said degrees of freedom , said motion caused by said user.

3. An interface device as recited in claim 2 wherein said flexure member is a play mechanism that provides a desired amount of play between said user object and said passive brake.

4. An interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said degree of freedom is a rotary degree of freedom and wherein said flexure member provides said torsional flex to said user object in said rotary degree of freedom.

5. An interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuator is coupled to said ground surface.

6. An interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuator is one of a plurality of actuators, wherein said local microprocessor sends actuator signals to said actuators in response to one or more of said commands to control said feel sensations.

7. An interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said feel sensations includes a damping sensation simulating the feel of motion-through a fluid or similar medium.

8. An interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein a damping constant is initialized by said local microprocessor, said damping constant indicating the degree of resistance experienced by said user when moving said user object.

9. An interface device as recited in claim 8 wherein a current position of said user object is stored by said local microprocessor, and wherein a difference between a current position value and a previous position value of said user object is determined, wherein a sign of said difference is used as an indication of a direction of motion of said user object.

10. An interface device as recited in claim 9 wherein a variable representing force output is computed as a function of said damping constant and said difference.

11. An interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein said user object is a joystick.

12. An interface device as recited in claim 1 further including a transmission mechanism connecting said actuator to said user object for providing mechanical advantage.

13. A force feedback interface device used in conjunction with a host computer for monitoring user manipulations and for enabling the simulation of feel sensations in response to said user manipulations, said feel sensations generated in accordance with application software running on said host computer and in accordance with images output on a computer display device by said host computer, said interface device comprising:

a user object being physically contacted by a user and movable in at least one degree of freedom by said user;

at least one sensor that detects motion of said user object in said degree of freedom with respect to a ground surface, wherein said at least one sensor outputs sensor signals representative of said motion of said user object;

an actuator generating at least one of a plurality of different types of feel sensations by outputting forces that are transmitted to said user object;

a flexure member coupled between said user object and said actuator, said flexure member providing torsional flex between said actuator and said user object, wherein said flexure member flexes to allow said user object to move with respect to said actuator; and

a local microprocessor separate from said host computer that enables communication with said host computer, receives data from said host computer, controls feel sensations in accordance with said data, reads said sensor signals, and reports sensor data based on said sensor signals to said host computer, said local microprocessor controlling said feel sensations simultaneously with said software running on said host computer.

14. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 13 wherein said actuator is a passive brake providing a resistance to motion of said user object, said motion caused by said user.

15. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 14 wherein said flexure member is a play member that provides a predetermined amount of play between said user object and said passive brake.

16. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 15 wherein said predetermined amount of play is equal to or greater than a sensing resolution of said sensor.

17. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 13 wherein said sensor is coupled to said ground surface.

18. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 13 wherein said degree of freedom is a rotary degree of freedom and wherein said flexure member provides torsion flex to said user object in said rotary degree of freedom.

19. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 17 wherein said actuator is coupled to said ground surface.

20. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 13 wherein said data from said host computer includes commands, and wherein said local microprocessor decodes said commands.

21. A force feedback interface device as recited in claim 13 further comprising memory local to said local microprocessor for storing program instructions, said program instructions including routines that set communication parameters to enable communication between said local microprocessor and said host, decode said data from said host computer, report sensor data to said host computer based on said sensor signals, and generate said feel sensations, wherein said feel sensations are generated in accordance with said software running on said host computer and in accordance with images displayed by said host computer on said computer display device.

22. An apparatus for interfacing the motion of an object with a computer system compnsing:

a sensor for detecting movement of said object along a degree of freedom, said sensor having a sensing resolution and being operative to develop an electrical sensor signal for said electrical system; and

an actuator assembly coupled to said object, said actuator assembly including;

an actuator for transmiting a force to said object along said degree of freedom, said actuator being responsive to an electrical actuator signal provided by said electrical system; and

a torsion spring coupled between said actuator and said object for providing an amount of spring flex between said actuator and said object along said degree of freedom, wherein said amount of spring flex is equal to or greater than said sensing resolution,

such that said actuator and said sensor provide an electromechanical interface between said object and said computer system.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein said actuator includes a passive acutator and wherein said force transmitted to said object includes drag transmitted to said object to resist a movement of said object.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 wherein an amount of play less than said sensing resolution exists between said sensor and said object.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein said play between sensor and object is at least an order of magnitude less than said sensing resolution.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 25 wherein said sensor is rigidly coupled to said mechanism.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 25 further comprising a support mechanism coupled between said object and said actuator assembly.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 25 further comprising a slotted yoke mechanism coupled between said object and said actuator assembly and between said object and said sensor.