Haptic control devices

• US 7,650,810 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Levin, Michael D., Vassallo, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): FENSTERMACHER, DAVID MORGAN
• Application Number:
  US11/445,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20060283279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 744/731, 744/731.2, 743/35, 744/71.XY, 200/61.88
• US Class Current: 74/471.0XY
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/241 Actuators providing feel or simulating a shift gate, i.e. with active force generation for providing counter forces for feed back
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/242 Mechanical shift gates or similar guiding means during selection and shifting
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/044 consisting of electrical switches or sensors range selectors with electric switches or sensors F16H59/105
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/105 consisting of electrical switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/24 Providing feel, e.g. to enable selection
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2003 Electrical actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20159 Control lever movable through plural planes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20201 Control moves in two planes

Abstract

A haptic control device for use in control-by-wire systems in vehicles. The haptic shift device includes a manipulandum manipulatable by a user. At least one sensor detects a position of the manipulandum. At least one electrically-controlled actuator outputs a force on the shift lever. In some embodiments, the manipulandum is moveable within a pattern and is blocked from areas outside the boundaries of the pattern. The actuator(s) can be active or passive, and/or a variable mechanical gate can be used to implement the pattern. Provided modes can include automatic, manual, and/or sequential modes.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a manipulandum;

a sensor configured to detect a position of the manipulandum and output a sensor signal associated with the position to a processor;

an actuator coupled to the manipulandum and configured to output a haptic effect based at least in part on the sensor signal; and

a mechanical gate corresponding to a predetermined pattern, the haptic effect and the mechanical gate substantially constraining the manipulandum to be moveable within the predetermined pattern.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manipulandum comprises one of a control lever, a control knob, a mouse, or a trackball.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises at least one of an active actuator or a resistive actuator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect comprises a barrier force.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect further imparts a haptic sensation on the manipulandum.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the haptic sensation comprises at least one of a detent sensation, a hill sensation, a spring sensation, a jolt sensation, a damping sensation, a vibration sensation, or a texture sensation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a first actuator and further comprising a second actuator, the first actuator configured to output the barrier force, and the second actuator configured to impart the haptic sensation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first actuator comprises one of a resistive actuator or an active actuator, and the second actuator comprises one of a resistive actuator or an active actuator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manipulandum is coupled to a five-member closed-loop gimbal mechanism and is moveable in two degrees of freedom.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a selection associated with one of a plurality of modes from a mode selector, and control the actuator such that the manipulandum is substantially constrained to move in a pattern corresponding with the selected mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanical gate is a variable mechanical gate having at least one mechanically moving component that allows a plurality of predefined patterns to be provided for the manipulandum in a plurality of modes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one mechanically moving component includes a gate component that is configured to be moved to open or block a channel of at least one of the predefined patterns.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one mechanically moving component includes a plurality of gate fingers that are configured to slide to block a horizontal or vertical channel in the predetermined pattern of a manual mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display device in communication with the processor, the processor configured to cause the predetermined pattern to display on the display device.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving a sensor signal associated with a position of a manipulandum; and

outputting an actuator signal to an actuator coupled to the manipulandum, the actuator signal configured to cause the actuator to output a haptic effect based at least in part on the sensor signal, the haptic effect and a mechanical gate substantially constraining the manipulandum to be moveable within a predetermined pattern.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising moving the manipulandum within the predetermined pattern.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising outputting a haptic sensation based at least in part on the movement of the manipulandum.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the haptic sensation comprises at least one of a detent sensation, a hill sensation, a spring sensation, a jolt sensation, a damping sensation, a vibration sensation, or a texture sensation.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising outputting one of an active force or a passive force on the manipulandum.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising outputting both an active force and a passive force on the manipulandum.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying the predetermined pattern on a display device.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising reconfiguring the mechanical gate to provide a second predefined pattern.