Flexible variation of haptic interface resolution

• US 6,803,924 B1
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Interval Research Corporation
• Inventors: Snibbe, Scott S., MacLean, Karon E., Johnson, Kimberly H., Bayley, Oliver T., Verplank, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US10/282,914
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 345/167, 345/184, 345/701, 345/702
• US Class Current: 715/701
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A haptic interface device is disclosed. The haptic interface device comprises a haptic display and a resolution input device. The haptic display is configured to provide a haptic sensation to a user in response to an interaction with an environment by the user. The resolution input device is configured to receive from the user an input indicating a resolution desired by the user. The desired resolution defines a desired magnitude of change in the haptic sensation per unit change in the state of one or more aspects of the environment. The haptic display device is configured to use the input to control the haptic sensation provided by the haptic display.

Claims

1. A haptic interface device, comprising:

a haptic display configured to provide a haptic sensation to a user in response to an interaction with an environment by the user wherein the interaction is ongoing and uninterrupted;

a user interaction model configured to mediate input to and output from the environment, producing the haptic display, and varying a resolution of the haptic sensation in real time during the interaction, wherein the resolution includes a magnitude of change in the haptic sensation per unit change of one or more aspects of the environment;

a resolution input device configured to receive from the user an input indicating the resolution desired by the user; and

wherein the haptic display device is configured to use said input indicating the resolution desired by the user to control the haptic sensation provided by the haptic display.

2. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the haptic display is further configured to vary the resolution of the haptic sensation continuously in response to said input indicating a resolution desired by the user.

3. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the resolution input device comprises a selector for selecting one of a plurality of discrete resolutions of the haptic sensation.

4. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 further comprising an environment interaction controller for enabling the user to interact with the environment.

5. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 4 wherein the user interacts with the environment interaction controller and the resolution input device using a combined device.

6. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 4 where the user interacts with the environment interaction controller, the resolution input device, and the haptic display using a combined device.

7. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 6 further comprising:

a first sensor for sensing a first haptic input to produce corresponding environment interaction control; and

a second sensor for sensing a second haptic input to produce corresponding resolution control.

8. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 7 wherein the first haptic input comprises a first force applied by the user and/or a first position of the combined device along a first axis;

and the second haptic input comprises a second force applied by the user and/or a second position of the combined device along a second axis that is different from the first axis.

9. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 4 wherein the environment interaction controller is configured to receive a user input with a single degree of freedom.

10. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 4 wherein the environment interaction controller is configured to receive a user input with multiple degrees of freedom.

11. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 4 wherein the environment interaction controller is configured to receive a translational user input.

12. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 4 wherein the environment interaction controller is configured to receive a rotational user input.

13. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the user interacts with the resolution input device and the haptic display using a combined device.

14. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the haptic display further comprises a detent simulator for simulating a plurality of detents, each detent corresponding to a state of one or more aspects of the environment; and

the haptic display is further configured to vary the number of detents per unit change in the state of one or more aspects of the environment based on said input indicating a resolution desired by the user.

15. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 14 wherein:

the environment is a visual recording including a plurality of related sets of visual recording data;

the haptic display is further configured to identify the occurrence of a transition from one related set of visual recording data to another related set of visual recording data, wherein the detent simulator simulates a detent during each of a plurality of transitions from one related set of visual recording data to another related set of visual recording data; and

the haptic display is further configured to vary the number of transitions at which a detent is simulated based on said input indicating a resolution desired by the user.

16. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the resolution input device further comprises a sensor for sensing a force applied by a user to the resolution input device.

17. A haptic interface device as recited in claims 1 wherein the resolution input device further comprises a sensor for sensing a position of the resolution input device.

18. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the resolution input device is configured to receive a user input with a single degree of freedom.

19. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the resolution input device is configured to receive a user input with multiple degrees of freedom.

20. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the resolution input device is configured to receive a translational user input.

21. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the resolution input device is configured to receive a rotational user input.

22. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the haptic display is configured to provide a haptic,output with a single degree of freedom.

23. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the haptic display is configured to provide a haptic output with multiple degrees of freedom.

24. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the haptic display is configured to provide a translational haptic output.

25. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the haptic display is configured to provide a rotational haptic output.

26. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a non-haptic display for providing a non-haptic output in response to the interaction with the environment by the user.

27. A haptic interface device as recited in claim 26 wherein the non-haptic display is configured to vary resolution of the non-haptic output in response to said input indicating a resolution desired by the user.

28. A haptic interface device, comprising:

a haptic display configured to provide a haptic sensation to a user in response to an interaction with an environment by the user, wherein the interaction is ongoing and uninterrupted;

a user interaction model configured to mediate input to and output from the environment, producing the haptic display, and varying a resolution of the haptic sensation in real time during the interaction, wherein the resolution includes a magnitude of change in the haptic sensation per unit change of one or more aspects of the environment; and

a resolution control device for continuously varying the resolution of the haptic sensation during at least part of the time that the user interacts with the environment.

29. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment, comprising:

providing a haptic sensation to a user in response to an interaction with the environment by the user, wherein the interaction is ongoing and uninterrupted;

mediating input to and output from the environment to produce a haptic display;

varying a resolution of the haptic sensation in real time during the interaction, wherein the resolution includes a magnitude of change in the haptic sensation per unit change of one or more aspects of the environment;

receiving from the user a resolution control input indicating the resolution desired by the user; and

controlling the haptic sensation in accordance with resolution control input.

30. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 29 further comprising varying the resolution of the haptic sensation in response to the resolution control input continuously.

31. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 29 further comprising selecting one of a plurality of discrete resolutions of the haptic sensation.

32. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 29 further comprising enabling the user to interact with the environment.

33. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 32 wherein the step of enabling the user to interact with the environment and the step of receiving a resolution control input from the user are performed using a combined device.

34. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 32 wherein the step of enabling the user to interact with the environment and the step of providing a haptic sensation are performed using a combined device.

35. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 32 further comprising:

sensing a first haptic input to produce corresponding environment interaction control; and

sensing a second haptic input to produce corresponding resolution control.

36. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 35 wherein the first haptic input comprises a force applied by a user along a first axis, and the second haptic input comprises a force applied by a user and/or a position along a second axis that is different from the first axis.

37. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 29 further comprising:

simulating a plurality of detents, each detent corresponding to a state of one or more aspects of the environment; and

varying the number of detents per unit change in the state of one or more aspects of the environment based on said input indicating a resolution desired by the user.

38. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 37 wherein the environment is a visual recording including a plurality of related sets of visual recording data;

and further comprises;

identifying the occurrence of a transition from one related set of visual recording data to another related set of visual recording data, wherein simulating the plurality of detent comprises simulating a detent during each of a plurality of transitions from one related set of visual recording data to another related set of visual recording data; and

varying the number of transitions at which a detent is simulated.

39. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 29 wherein receiving the resolution control input from the user comprises sensing a force applied by the user to a resolution control device.

40. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 29 wherein receiving the resolution control input from the user comprises sensing a position of a resolution control device.

41. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 29 further comprising displaying non-haptic information in response to the interaction with the environment by the user.

42. A method for providing a haptic interface to an environment as recited in claim 41 further comprises varying resolution of the non-haptic display device output in response to the resolution control input.