Increasing force transmissibility for tactile feedback interface devices

• US 6,680,729 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Kenneth M., Shahoian, Erik J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, FRANCIS N
• Application Number:
  US09/675,995
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156-158, 345/161, 310/12-14, 744/71.XY, 318/648, 273/459-461, 463/36-38
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/818 Fishing
• 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 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8035 Virtual fishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

Method and apparatus for increasing the transmissibility of inertial forces produced by an inertial actuator on the housing of a tactile feedback interface device. A tactile interface device, coupled to a host computer, outputs tactile sensations to a user based on interactions and events occurring in a displayed graphical environment. An actuator produces periodic inertial forces, such as vibrations, and a compliant suspension couples the actuator to the device housing. A compliance of the suspension is selected such that the suspension magnifies the periodic inertial forces for a particular frequency range of the inertial forces. The magnified inertial forces are transmitted to the housing to be felt by the user.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a housing;

an actuator disposed within said housing, the actuator configured to receive a control signal, the control signal based on data values associated with events in a graphical environment, the actuator configured to produce periodic inertial forces based on the control signal; and

a compliant suspension coupled between said actuator and said housing, said compliant suspension member having a predetermined compliance such that said compliant suspension magnifies the periodic inertial forces for a predetermined frequency range of the inertial forces, the compliant suspension configured to impart the magnified inertial forces to the housing.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the periodic inertial forces are operative to impart periodic vibrations to said housing.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said compliant suspension includes at least one spring member.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said spring member is a leaf spring.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein said spring member includes at least one spring beam coupled to said housing, said spring beam configured to flex, the predetermined compliance of the spring member being defined at least in part by the flex of the spring member.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein said spring member includes a diaphragm.

7. The device of claim 2, further comprising a damping member coupled between said actuator and said housing, said damping member configured to reduce a peak magnitude of the periodic vibrations.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said damping member includes a foam.

9. The device of claim 3, wherein said actuator is coupled to a bracket, said bracket being coupled to said housing by said at least one spring member.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said control signal is received from a video game console and said graphical environment is a game running on said console, said control signal being based on events in the game.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said actuator is a rotary motor and said compliant suspension is coupled between a housing of said motor and said housing of said device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein an eccentric mass is coupled to a rotating shaft of said motor and is configured to output the periodic inertial forces.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein said actuator is a linear motor including an oscillating element and is configured to output the periodic inertial forces.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said control signal is provided by a controller locally coupled to the device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said local controller is a microprocessor, and said microprocessor is configured to receive data from a host computer.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein said control signal is output by a host computer such that said host computer directly controls the periodic inertial forces.

17. A method, comprising:

transmitting an input signal from a haptic feedback device, the haptic feedback device including a housing, an actuator within the housing and a compliant suspension coupled between the actuator and the housing;

receiving at the actuator a control signal, the control signal based on data values associated with events occurring in a graphical environment, the events associated with the input signal;

outputting periodic inertial forces via the actuator, the periodic vibrations being based on the control signal; and

transmitting periodic vibrations associated with the periodic inertial forces to the housing via the compliant suspension, the compliant suspension having a predetermined compliance such that the compliant suspension magnifies the periodic inertial forces for a predetermined frequency range of the periodic inertial forces.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising reducing a peak magnitude of the periodic inertial forces using a damping member.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving the control signal includes receiving the control signal from a controller locally coupled to the haptic feedback device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving the control signal includes receiving the control signal at the actuator directly from a host computer such that the host computer directly controls the output of the periodic vibrations.

21. A device, comprising:

a housing;

a manipulandum coupled to said housing;

a sensor configured to detect a manipulation of said manipulandum, the sensor further configured to output sensor data, the sensor data based on the detected manipulation;

an actuator disposed within said housing, said actuator configured to receive a control signal based on events occurring in a graphical environment, the actuator further configured to output periodic inertial forces based on the control signal; and

a compliant member coupled between said actuator and said housing, said complaint member having a predetermined compliance such that said compliant member magnifies the periodic inertial forces for a predetermined frequency range of the periodic inertial forces, the compliant member configured to impart the magnified inertial forces to the housing.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the periodic inertial forces are operative to impart periodic vibrations to said housing.

23. The device of claim 22, the actuator being a first actuator, the compliant member being a first compliant member, further comprising:

a second actuator configured to produce inertial vibrations; and

a second complaint member coupled between said second actuator and said housing, the second compliant member configured to magnify the inertial vibrations.