Flexure mechanism for interface device

• US 7,193,607 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Kenneth M., Rosenberg, Louis B., Moore, David F., Vassallo, Steve P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdulselam; Abbas I.
• Application Number:
  US10/389,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20050073496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-157, 345/161, 345/184, 434/45, 434/267, 434/272, 463/30, 744/90, 341/20, 318/568.11, 700/83, 715/701, 715/970
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas

Abstract

A flexure mechanism for an interface device that interfaces a user with a computer system. An interface device includes a manipulandum physically contacted by the user. A five-bar closed-loop mechanism is coupled to the manipulandum to provide two rotary degrees of freedom to the manipulandum. The mechanism includes members coupled to each other by flexible couplings allowing rotation of the members. In preferred embodiments, four or five of the members are coupled together by flexible couplings that allow bending, thereby forming a unitary piece, where the couplings are oriented along axes of rotation of the mechanism. A senor senses a position of the manipulandum outputs a sensor signal, and in some embodiments actuators are coupled to the mechanism to output a force to the manipulandum in particular degrees of freedom. The manipulandum can be a joystick handle or portion of a sphere, where the device in one embodiment can be a handheld gamepad or similar controller.

Claims

1. An interface device comprising:

a manipulandum moveable in at least two rotary degrees of freedom; and

a five-bar closed-loop mechanism coupled to said manipulandum, said mechanism providing said at least two rotary degrees of freedom with respect to a ground, wherein said mechanism includes four members forming a unitary piece coupled to said ground, wherein said members are coupled to each other by flexible couplings allowing rotation of said members.

2. An interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said flexible couplings may bend about only one rotational axis and may not twist.

3. An interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein said mechanism includes:

a first extension member,

a first central member flexibly coupled to said first extension member,

a second central member coupled to said first central member, and

a second extension member flexibly coupled to said second central member, wherein said manipulandum is coupled to one of said central members.

4. An interface device as recited in claim 3, wherein said two degrees of freedom are provided about two base axes of rotation, and wherein said central members rotate about two floating axes of rotation, and wherein said flexible couplings between said extension members and said central members are substantially aligned with said floating axes of rotation.

5. An interface device as recited in claim 4, wherein said unitary piece includes a ground member coupled to said ground, wherein said first and second extension members are flexibly coupled to said ground member by flexible couplings.

6. An interface device as recited in claim 5, wherein said flexible couplings between said ground member and said extension member are substantially aligned with said base axes of rotation.

7. An interface device as recited in claim 4, wherein said flexible coupling between said central members is substantially aligned with a normal axis extending approximately perpendicularly from a plane formed by said base axes when said central members are in an origin position.

8. An interface device as recited in claim 7, wherein said normal axis, said base axes, and said floating axes intersect approximately at a single point.

9. An interface device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an actuator coupled to said mechanism, said actuator operable to output a force to said manipulandum in one of said two degrees of freedom.

10. An interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of said flexible couplings are oriented such that when force is applied to said central members by said user contacting said manipulandum, a pulling tension is applied to said at least two flexible couplings.

11. An interface device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a sensor coupled to said five-bar closed-loop mechanism operable to sense a position of said manipulandum in at least one of said degrees of freedom and output a sensor signal.

12. An interface device comprising:

a manipulandum moveable in at least two rotary degrees of freedom; and

a gimbal mechanism coupled to said manipulandum, said gimbal mechanism configured to provide said two rotary degrees of freedom, and wherein said gimbal mechanism comprises four members forming a unitary piece, wherein;

said members are coupled to each other by flexible couplings allowing rotation of said members, and

said members comprise two central members and two extension members, wherein each extension member is configured to be coupled to a sensor.

13. An interface device as recited in claim 12, further comprising a sensor coupled to said gimbal mechanism configured to sense a position of said manipulandum in at least one of said rotary degrees of freedom and output a sensor signal.

14. An interface device as recited in claim 13, further comprising an actuator coupled to said gimbal mechanism, said actuator configured to output a force to said manipulandum in one of said two rotary degrees of freedom.

15. An interface device as recited in claim 14, further comprising a processor in communication with said sensor and said actuator and configured to receive said sensor signal and output an actuator signal.