Memory and force output management for a force feedback system

• US 7,299,321 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation Delaware
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation Delaware
• Inventors: Braun, Adam C., Beamer, Jonathan L., Chang, Dean C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US10/713,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 711/118, 711/133, 711/134, 711/135, 711/136, 711/167, 711/154, 711/159, 710/57, 341/20, 341/27, 345/701, 345/702
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for efficient management of memory and force output in a force feedback system including a host computer and a force feedback device. A representation of device memory is maintained on the host computer to allow the host computer knowledge and control over storage and force effects in the device memory. A host cache for force effects is provided to allow almost unlimited numbers of force effects to be created for the device, where any force effects not able to fit in device memory are stored in the host cache. Other aspects of the invention include a playlist stored on the device of force effects being played by the device, and management of force output using relatively small, discrete time intervals.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded a computer program, comprising:

code for creating a representation of a haptic feedback device memory in a computer memory;

code for storing a haptic effect in a cache allocated in said computer memory;

code for determining whether said haptic feedback device memory can store said haptic effect by examining said representation of said haptic feedback device memory; and

code for sending said haptic effect to said haptic feedback device memory.

2. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said haptic effect is sent to said haptic feedback device memory only if said haptic feedback device memory can store said haptic effect.

3. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 2, wherein determining whether said haptic feedback device memory can store said haptic effect comprises:

code for comparing a priority of said haptic effect with a priority of a loaded haptic effect already stored in said haptic feedback device memory; and

code for sending said haptic effect if said priority of said haptic effect is greater than said priority of said loaded haptic effect.

4. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising code for storing a plurality of haptic effects in said cache in said computer memory regardless of whether said haptic feedback device memory comprises sufficient space to store said plurality of haptic effects.

5. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising code for delaying the sending of said haptic effect to said haptic feedback device memory if said haptic feedback device memory is full.

6. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

code for storing a plurality of haptic effects in said computer memory;

code for sending one of said plurality of haptic effects to said haptic feedback device memory when said one of said plurality of haptic effects is to be played; and

code for replacing a haptic effect stored in said haptic feedback device memory with said one of said plurality of haptic effects.