Force feed back supply apparatus

• US 6,477,448 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Shigeaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US09/512,368
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 414/5, 700/56-1-, 700/85, 700/83, 700/186, 700/193, 700/245, 700/250, 700/253, 700/260, 700/261, 700/264, 700/301, 700/302, 901/34, 318/628, 318/568.11
• US Class Current: 700/302
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/02 Hand grip control means handles or pedals for crane control B66C13/56; for measuring the force applied to control members G01L5/22; hand-held casings for switching devices, e.g. joy-sticks H01H9/0214
• 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

Abstract

A force feed back supply apparatus having a force feed back supply unit which is held by or mounted on an operator, and a force feed back generating unit for providing the force feed back supply unit with the load corresponding to an operation or the like of the operator, includes a clutch mechanism interposed between the force feed back supply unit and the force feed back generating unit; detector for detecting the position and orientation (attitude) of the force feed back supply unit with respect to the force feed back generating unit; and a controller for controlling the force feed back generating unit on the basis of the detection result of the detector, wherein when a force feed back is supplied, the clutch mechanism is set to be coupled between the force feed back supply unit and the force feed back generating unit, and when no force feed back is supplied, the clutch mechanism is set to be uncoupled between the force feed back supply unit and the force feed back generating unit and the controller controls the force feed back generating unit on the basis of the detection result of the detector so that the relative position between the force feed back supply unit and the force feed back generating unit is kept fixed at all times.

Claims

1. A force feed back supply apparatus having a force feed back supply unit held by or mounted on an operator, and a force feed back generating unit for providing the force feed back supply unit with a load corresponding to an operation of the operator, by comprising:

a clutch mechanism interposed between said force feed back supply unit and said force feed back generating unit;

detection means for detecting a position and an orientation of said force feed back supply unit with respect to said force feed back generating unit; and

a controller for controlling said force feed back generating unit based on a detection result of said detection means, wherein when a force feed back is supplied said clutch mechanism is set to be coupled between said force feed back supply unit and said force feed back generating unit, and when no force feed back is supplied the clutch mechanism is set to be uncoupled between the force feed back supply unit and the force feed back generating unit and the controller controls the force feed back generating unit based on the detection result of the detection means, so that a relative position between the force feed back supply unit and the force feed back generating unit is kept fixed.

2. The force feed back supply apparatus a s claimed in claim 1, wherein said clutch mechanism comprises a first clutch element at the force feed back supply unit and a second clutch element at the force feed back generating unit being coupled to each other through a recess/projection engagement, and taper portions are provided to engagement portions between said first and second clutch elements.