Force feedback device with microprocessor receiving low level commands

• US 7,061,467 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRIER, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US09/974,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20020033841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/184, 345/701, 345/702, 463/30, 463/37, 463/38, 434/45
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• 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: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/04 by measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/008 using coordinate measuring machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/004 for measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4207 in which a model is traced or scanned and corresponding data recorded
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04777 with additional push or pull action on the handle
• 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: 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: H01H 2003/008 with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling and providing force feedback using an interface device manipulated by a user. A microprocessor is provided local to the interface device and reads sensor data from sensors that describes the position and/or other information about an object grasped and moved by the user, such as a joystick. The microprocessor provides the sensor data to a host computer that is coupled to the interface device by a communication bus that preferably includes a serial interface. In a “host-controlled” embodiment, the host computer calculates force values using the sensor data and other parameters of a host application program and sends the force values to the local microprocessor, which directly provides the force values to actuators to apply forces to the user object. In a “reflex” embodiment, the host computer sends high level supervisory commands to the local microprocessor, and the microprocessor independently implements a local process based on the high level command for reading sensor data and providing force values to the actuators using sensor data and other parameters.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an object configured to be moved in at least one degree of freedom;

a sensor configured to detect a position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom and configured to output a sensor signal, the sensor signal being associated with the position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom;

a microprocessor coupled to said sensor, said microprocessor configured to send input data to a host computer, the input data being associated with the sensor signal and being usable by a host application program, the microprocessor further configured to select a low-level-force signal associated with a high-level-force command received from the host computer, the low-level-force signal including a force magnitude value; and

an actuator coupled to the microprocessor and configured to output haptic feedback based on the selected low-level-force signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the force magnitude value of the low-level force signal is associated with a time interval.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the force magnitude value of the low-level force signal is pre-calculated and stored on the host computer prior to being received by the microprocessor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the low-level-force signal is received by the microprocessor based on a signal associated with a collision event being simulated on the host computer.

5. A processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a first processor to:

receive input data from a second processor coupled to an input device, the input data including position data;

generate a force command based on the position data received from the second processor; and

transmit the force command to the second processor, the force command being one selected from a high-level-force command and a low-level-force command,

the high-level-force command operative to cause the second processor to select a subroutine from a plurality of predefined subroutines based on the high-level-force command and output a force signal associated with the subroutine,

the low-level-force command operative to cause the second processor to output a force signal associated with the low-level-force command.

6. The processor-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the selected subroutine is operative to instruct the processor to select a low-level-force command.

7. The processor-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the low-level-force command causes the processor to output a force signal to an actuator, the low-level-force command being based on sensor data received from a sensor coupled to the processor.

8. The processor-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the code further represents instructions to cause a first processor to:

receive and to selectively transmit via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

9. The processor-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the code further represents instructions to cause a first processor to:

store a force profile as at least one force magnitude value.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the code further represents instructions to cause a first processor to:

select the stored force profile in response to the force command.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving input data from a processor coupled to an input device, the input data including position data based on a position of the input device;

generating a force command based on the position data received from the processor; and

sending a force command to the processor, the force command including one of a high-level-force command and a low-level-force command,

the high-level-force command operative to cause the processor to select a subroutine based on the high-level-force command and to output a force signal associated with the subroutine,

the low-level-force command operative to cause the processor to output a force signal associated with the low-level-force command.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the subroutine is operative to instruct the processor to select a low-level-force command.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the low-level-force command causes the processor to output a force signal to an actuator, the low-level-force command being based on sensor data received from a sensor coupled to the processor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving and the sending is performed over a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing a force profile as at least one force magnitude value.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

selecting the force profile based on the force command.

17. A method, comprising:

detecting a position of an object, the object configured to move in at least one degree of freedom;

outputting a sensor signal, the sensor signal being based on the position of the object in the at least one degree of freedom;

sending input data based on the sensor signal, the input data being operative to interact with a host application program;

receiving one of a high-level-force command and a low-level-force command including a force magnitude value;

selecting a force signal associated with the received one of the high-level-force command and the low-level-force command; and

generating a haptic feedback signal associated with the selected force signal.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving input data from a processor coupled to an input device, the input data including position data based on a position of the input device;

generating a force command based on the position data received from the processor; and

sending force commands to the processor, the force commands including one of a first force command and a second force command,

the first force command operative to cause the processor to select a force output and to output a pre-determined force signal associated with the selected force output, the force signal being associated with a force magnitude included in the force output,

the second force command operative to cause the processor to output a force signal associated with a force magnitude included in the second force command.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

an object configured to be moved in at least one degree of freedom;

a sensor configured to detect a position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom and configured to output a sensor signal, the sensor signal being associated with the position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom;

a microprocessor coupled to the sensor, said microprocessor configured to send input to a host computer, the input data being associated with the sensor signal and being usable by a host application program, the microprocessor further configured to select a low-level-force command associated with a high-level-force command received from the host computer, the microprocessor further configured to output a low-level-force signal associated with the low-level-force command, the low-level-force signal including a force magnitude value; and

an actuator coupled to the microprocessor and configured to output haptic feedback based on the selected low-level-force signal.