Tactile mouse
First Claim
1. A tactile feedback mouse, comprising:
- a sensor configured to detect a movement of the mouse in a planar workspace and configured to output sensor signals representative of the movement; and
a rotary actuator configured to receive a signal based on the sensor signals and output a haptic force based on the received signal, the rotary actuator having a shaft and an inertial mass coupled to the shaft, the rotary actuator configured to move the inertial mass approximately linearly by rotating the inertial mass bi-directionally a fraction of a full revolution about the shaft, the haptic force being generated by oscillating the inertial mass at an assignable frequency and magnitude.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low-cost tactile feedback mouse device for providing haptic feedback to a user for enhancing interactions and manipulations in a graphical environment provided by a computer. The mouse device includes a sensor device able to detect the movement of the mouse in the planar workspace. An actuator is coupled to the housing of the mouse and applies an inertial force in a particular degree of freedom, preferably along an axis perpendicular to the planar workspace, where the inertial force is transmitted through the housing to the user. The actuator outputs the inertial force preferably by linearly moving an inertial mass along the Z-axis. The output force is correlated with interaction of a controlled graphical object, such as a cursor, with other graphical objects in a graphical environment displayed by the host computer. The inertial force can be a pulse, vibration, texture force, or other type of force.
410 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A tactile feedback mouse, comprising:
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a sensor configured to detect a movement of the mouse in a planar workspace and configured to output sensor signals representative of the movement; and a rotary actuator configured to receive a signal based on the sensor signals and output a haptic force based on the received signal, the rotary actuator having a shaft and an inertial mass coupled to the shaft, the rotary actuator configured to move the inertial mass approximately linearly by rotating the inertial mass bi-directionally a fraction of a full revolution about the shaft, the haptic force being generated by oscillating the inertial mass at an assignable frequency and magnitude. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A tactile feedback mouse, comprising:
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a sensor configured to detect movement of the mouse in a planar workspace and output sensor signals representative of the movement; and a rotary actuator configured to receive a signal based on the sensor signals and output a haptic force based on the received signal, the rotary actuator having a shaft and an inertial mass coupled to the shaft, the rotary actuator configured to move the inertial mass approximately linearly by rotating the inertial mass bi-directionally a fraction of a full revolution about the shaft, said haptic force being included in a spatial texture force sensation, said spatial texture force sensation providing a plurality of force oscillations spatially correlated with values associated with cursor motion within a graphical environment. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus, comprising:
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a sensor configured to detect displacement of said apparatus and to output sensor signals representative of the displacement; a rotary actuator configured to receive a signal based on the sensor signals and output a haptic force based on the received signal, the rotary actuator having a shaft and an inertial mass coupled to the shaft, the rotary actuator configured to move the inertial mass approximately linearly by rotating the inertial mass bi-directionally a fraction of a full revolution about the shaft; and a controller coupled to said sensor and said actuator, said controller being configured to receive signals from a computer and output the force signals to said actuator to control said haptic force.
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Specification