Haptic feedback using rotary harmonic moving mass

• US 7,161,580 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2002
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Shahoian, Erik, Tierling, Kollin, Bailey, David, Jasso, Alex, Martin, Ken, Vassallo, Steven, Grant, Danny
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLISH, ALECIA DIANE
• Application Number:
  US10/301,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20030201975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36- 38, 340/311.1, 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 345/164, 345/173, 310 12- 14
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A haptic device comprises an actuator and a mass. The actuator has a shaft. The actuator is elastically coupled to the mass and/or a base.

Claims

1. A haptic device comprising:

an actuator having a shaft; and

a mass coupled to the shaft of the actuator,

the actuator being elastically coupled to at least one of the mass and a base,

the actuator and the mass having a first operational mode associated with a range of frequencies and a second operational mode associated with a range of frequencies different from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode, the range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode including a harmonic frequency associated with the elastic coupling of the actuator to at least one of the mass and a base,

the actuator and the mass collectively having a third operational mode that includes a superposition of the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

2. A haptic device comprising:

a rotary actuator having a shaft;

an elastic element coupled to the shaft of the rotary actuator; and

a mass coupled to the elastic element,

the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively having a first operational mode associated with a range of frequencies and a second operational mode associated with a range of frequencies different from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode, the second operational mode being associated with a harmonic frequency of the elastic element, and

the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively has a third operational mode associated with a superposition of the range of frequencies of the first operational mode and the range of frequencies of the second operational mode.

3. The haptic device of claim 2, wherein:

the actuator is configured to receive a signal, the actuator is configured to rotate the shaft based on the signal so that the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively operate in one of the first operational mode, the second operational mode and the third operational mode.

4. A haptic device comprising:

a rotary actuator having a shaft;

an elastic member coupled to the shaft of the rotary actuator;

a mass coupled to the elastic element;

a first stop coupled to the rotary actuator at a location of the rotary actuator; and

a second stop coupled to the rotary actuator at a location of the rotary actuator different from the location at which the first stop is coupled to the rotary actuator, the elastic member being coupled to the rotary actuator between the location at which the first stop is coupled to the rotary actuator and the location at which the second stop is coupled to the rotary actuator,

wherein the rotary actuator, the elastic element and the mass collectively have a first operational mode associated with its own range of frequencies and a second operational mode associated with its own range of frequencies different from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode, the second operational mode being associated with a range of effective harmonic frequencies defined, at least in pair, by a shape of the first stop and a shape of the second stop.

5. A haptic device comprising:

means for receiving a signal having at least one of a first frequency component and a second frequency component; and

means for rotating a mass, the means for rotating the mass configured to respond to the means for receiving in a first operational mode and a second operational mode, the first operational mode being associated with the first frequency component, the second operational mode being associated with the second frequency component,

the first operational mode of the means for rotating being associated with a first range of frequencies,

the second operational mode of the means for rotating being associated with a second range of frequencies, the first range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode of the means for rotating being different than the second range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode of the means for rotating,

the means for rotating including an elastic member associated with a harmonic frequency,

the second range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode of the means for rotating including the harmonic frequency, the harmonic frequency being greater than a frequency from the first range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode of the means for rotating.

6. The haptic device of claim 5, wherein:

the means for rotating includes a first stop, a second stop and an elastic member,

the range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode of the means for rotating including a frequency greater than a frequency from the range of frequencies associated with the first operational mode of the means for rotating, and

the range of frequencies associated with the second operational mode of the means for rotating including the harmonic frequency is a range of effective harmonic frequencies defined, at least in part, by a shape of the first stop and a shape of the second stop.