Actuator for providing tactile sensations and device for directional tactile sensations

• US 7,084,854 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Schena, Bruce M., Moore, David F., Shahoian, Erik J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US09/967,494
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 345/167, 345/701, 345/702, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/30
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

An interface device providing haptic feedback to a user is in communication with a host computer. The device includes a housing, at least one sensor for detecting user input, and an actuator assembly. The actuator assembly includes a grounded flexure suspension coupled to an inertial mass which moves when the actuator assembly is energized to cause inertial sensations. The inertial mass includes a pole piece surrounding a magnet, and a grounded coil between magnet and pole piece causes the motion of the inertial mass when current is flowed therethrough. Another embodiment provides directional haptic feedback to a user and includes at least two actuator assemblies oriented such that the inertial masses oscillate substantially orthogonally, and can be controlled to output the inertial sensations approximately along a single axis having a desired orientation.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a sensor configured to detect motion of the housing in the two planar degrees of freedom; and

an actuator assembly including a grounded coil, a flexure suspension and an inertial mass coupled to the flexure suspension, the actuator assembly coupled to the housing by the flexure suspension, the inertial mass configured to move substantially in a direction perpendicular to the two planar degrees of freedom to output haptic feedback to the housing when the actuator assembly is energized.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure suspension includes an inner ring and an outer ring, the outer ring fixedly coupled to the housing, the inner ring coupled to and configured to move with the inertial mass.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inner ring is coupled to said outer ring by at least one flexible member.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure suspension includes an inner ring and an outer ring, one of the inner ring and outer ring being fixedly coupled to the housing, the other of the inner ring and outer ring being coupled to and configured to move with the inertial mass, the inner ring being coupled to the outer ring by at least one flexible member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a moving portion of the flexure suspension is coupled to the inertial mass and is coupled to a grounded portion of the flexure suspension by at least one flex joint.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a compliant layer configured to be displaced between at least a portion of the housing and a rigid support surface on which the housing is moved.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inner ring and the outer ring are circular.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inertial mass includes a pole piece disposed around a magnet, the grounded coil is disposed between the magnet and the pole piece.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

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

a sensor configured to detect motion of at least a portion the object in the at least one degree of freedom; and

an actuator assembly including a grounded coil, a grounded flexure suspension and an inertial mass coupled to the flexure suspension, the actuator assembly coupled to the object by the flexure suspension, the inertial mass configured to move substantially in a direction perpendicular to the at least one degree of freedom to output haptic feedback when the actuator assembly is energized.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the actuator assembly outputs the haptic feedback through the object.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a housing, the actuator assembly configured to output the haptic feedback through the housing.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to be held in at least one hand of a user when operated by the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the object includes a joystick handle.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the object includes a trackball.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the flexure suspension includes an inner ring and an outer ring.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the outer ring is affixed to the object and the inner ring is coupled and configured to move with the inertial mass.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the flexure suspension includes an inner ring and an outer ring, one of the inner ring and outer ring being fixedly coupled to the object and the other of the inner ring and outer ring being coupled to and configured to move with the inertial mass, the inner ring being coupled to the outer ring by at least one flexible member.

17. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a moving portion of the flexure suspension is coupled to the inertial mass and is coupled to a grounded portion of the flexure suspension by at least one flex joint.

31. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the inertial mass includes a pole piece disposed around a magnet, the grounded coil is disposed between the magnet and the pole piece.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a sensor configured to produce a plurality of control signals based on an input to at least a portion of the housing; and

a plurality of actuator assemblies, each actuator assembly from the plurality of actuator assemblies including a flexure suspension and an inertial mass coupled to the flexure suspension, each actuator assembly from the plurality of actuator assemblies being coupled to the housing by its flexure suspension, each inertial mass configured to oscillate linearly along its own axis that is substantially orthogonal with the remaining axes to provide haptic feedback to the housing, the haptic feedback being output approximately along a single axis having a selected orientation, the selected orientation being associated with the plurality of control signals.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each actuator assembly from the plurality of actuator assemblies is uniquely associated with a control signal from the plurality of control signals.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each control signal from the plurality of control signals is at least one of in phase with and 180 degrees out of phase from the remaining control signals from the plurality of control signals.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of control signals is collectively associated with the selected orientation.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each control signal from the plurality of control signals is one of a sine wave and a square wave.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each control signal from the plurality of control signals is a sawtooth wave.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the inertial mass includes a pole piece disposed around a magnet, a grounded coil is disposed between the magnet and the pole piece, the inertial mass configured to oscillate when a current is applied to the coil.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the inertial mass includes a rotary actuator configured to move the inertial mass.

26. A method, comprising:

detecting a directional input to a housing; and

outputting a directional haptic feedback to the housing based on the directional input, a plurality of actuator assemblies being configured to output the directional haptic feedback, each actuator assembly from the plurality of actuator assemblies including a grounded coil, a flexure suspension and an inertial mass coupled to the flexure suspension, each actuator assembly from the plurality of actuator assemblies being coupled to the housing by its flexure suspension, each actuator assembly from the plurality of actuator assemblies being configured to oscillate its inertial mass along an axis substantially orthogonal to the axis of each remaining inertial masses to provide the directional haptic feedback to the housing, the directional haptic feedback being output approximately along a single axis having a selected orientation.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the actuator assembly from the plurality of actuator assemblies is uniquely associated with a control signal from a plurality of control signals, the plurality of control signals being associated with the directional input.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein each control signal from the plurality of control signals is one of in phase with and 180 degrees out of phase from the remaining control signals from the plurality of control signals.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the plurality of control signals is collectively associated with the selected orientation.